Some players of the popular battle royale Apex Legends were unable to access matchmaking after an unidentified hacker took over the game’s playlist feature, displaying multiple messages linking to “Save Titanfall”. Developer Respawn has instated a fix to the issue, stating that the attack has “not put players’ personal information” at risk.
We are aware of and actively investigating issues impacting @PlayApex playlists that are preventing players from getting into matches.
— Respawn (@Respawn) July 4, 2021
The Apex Legends hack specifically took control of the game’s playlist function, which allows players to access the battle royale’s different game modes. The hacker added a new mode with the name “SaveTitanfall.com | BRUH”, under the subtitle “TF1 is being attacked so is Apex”. Additionally, if you were able to even play in a match, an “important message” would pop up at the end of the match instructing players to visit and repost the website. The website itself, however, states that it is “in no way associated” with the recent hacking.
The story of Titanfall as a game is an unfortunate one. Though it released in 2014 to critical acclaim and even got a sequel as well as a spin-off battle royale, for the past few years the game has been practically unplayable on PC due to DDoS attacks on the game’s servers. Worse yet, because Titanfall requires you to play multiplayer to progress through story mode, this means that players cannot complete the game’s story in its entirety.
Further, many players have criticized EA and Respawn for letting players continue to purchase Titanfall on storefronts given these issues. While Respawn has stated in the past that it is working hard to resolve the issue, nothing much has changed. Titanfall‘s poor launch and hacking issues have resulted in the game receiving a “Mostly Negative” rating on Steam, which is a shame, because the game itself is phenomenal.
The developers at Respawn gave up their holiday weekend to institute a fix to the Apex Legends hacking and restore playability to the game.
We’ve confirmed that matchmaking has been restored. We’re keeping an eye on things but believe the issue to be resolved.
Thanks for your patience, Legends.
— Respawn (@Respawn) July 5, 2021
Apex Legends recently released its ninth season, adding a new character named Valkyrie to its roster. The addition of Valkyrie (the daughter of one of Titanfall 2‘s antagonists, Viper) along with a free weekend offering for Titanfall 2, spurred many fans to return to the past games. The upcoming EA Play Live will also feature Apex Legends alongside the company’s other big-name titles—and rumors of a Dead Space reveal—but no word on the Titanfall franchise.
