On Twitch, gamers can stream their games and make a lot of money. Just how much is now revealed in a leak that will likely go down as one of the biggest in Internet history.
An anonymous hacker has cracked the streaming platform Twitch and leaked sensitive internals on the Internet. A 125 gigabyte torrent link contained the complete source code as well as millions of dollars in payouts to Twitch streamers.
Twitch confirms the huge hack
Twitch is owned by Amazon.com, Inc and regularly faces strong criticism. Because of the live broadcasts, the streams are difficult to moderate. That is why sexual harassment and hate speech spread in so-called “hate raids”. In the post on the Internet forum “4chan”, where the hacker also provided the torrent link, the anonymous hacker wrote that he attacked Twitch because “the community is a disgusting, toxic cesspool”.
First, the gamer site “Video Games Chronicle” reported about the hack and confirmed that the files were available for download online. Meanwhile, Twitch itself has also confirmed the hack in a tweet:
We can confirm a breach has taken place. Our teams are working with urgency to understand the extent of this. We will update the community as soon as additional information is available. Thank you for bearing with us.
– Twitch (@Twitch) October 6, 2021
We can confirm that a data leak has occurred. Our teams are working diligently to understand its extent. We will inform the community as soon as more information is available. Thank you for your patience with us.
On its blog, Twitch writes as an explanation of how the hack could happen that “a bug in the Twitch server configuration” led to third parties being able to access the servers.
Complete platform leaked on the Internet
According to “Video Games Chronicle”, the leaker has revealed that the 125GB leak is just the beginning and more files will follow. However, a lot of information can already be found in the leaked Twitch files. In addition to the complete source code of the platform, it also includes internal software development kits (SDKs) and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which Twitch uses for development. Twitch’s web clients for mobile, desktop and console, as well as subsidiary services of Twitch, can also be found. A previously unreleased competitor to gaming platform Steam is also part of the leak. The service is codenamed “Vapor” and is being developed by Amazon Game Studios.
On Twitter, some users indicate what they found in the leaked files. One user, for example, writes that encrypted passwords can also be found there and recommends setting up two-factor authentication.
https://t.co/7vTDeRA9vt got leaked. Like, the entire website; source code with comments for the website and various console/phone versions, refrences to an unreleased steam competitor, payouts, encrypted passwords that kinda thing.
Might wana change your passwords.– Sinoc (@Sinoc229) October 6, 2021
Hack exposes Twitch streamers’ earnings
However, probably the most interesting information from the Twitch leak is undoubtedly the list of payouts to the top streamers in 2019, according to which 81 streamers have earned more than one million US dollars via Twitch. The Dungeons &-Dragons group “CriticalRole” was paid out the most by Twitch by far, with USD 9.6 million (about 8.3 million euros).
The gross payouts of the top 100 highest-paid Twitch streamers from August 2019 until October 2021: pic.twitter.com/3Lj9pb2aBl
– KnowSomething (@KnowS0mething) October 6, 2021
Auch einige Streamer aus Deutschland sind unter den Top 100 mit den höchsten Auszahlungen. Marcel Eris, aka “MontanaBlack88” ist auf Place 17 mit 2,4 Millionen USD (ca. 2,1 Millionen Euro). Auf Place 56 ist Maximilian Alexander Curt Stemmler, aka “Trymacs” mit 1,3 million USD (ca. 1,1 Millionen Euro).
| Place | Name | Payout (in USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CriticalRole | 9.6 million |
| 2 | xQcOW | 8,5 million |
| 3 | summit1g | 5.9 million |
| 4 | Tfue | 5,3 million |
| 5 | NICKMERCS | 5 million |
| 6 | ludwig | 3,3 million |
| 7 | TimTheTatman | 3,3 million |
| 8 | Altoar | 3.1 million |
| 9 | auronplay | 3.1 million |
| 10 | LIRIK | 3 million |
However, the leaked payouts are only money that streamers get through Twitch itself. This does not include other channels, such as YouTube, merchandise and sponsorships.
Sources
- Video Game Chronicle
- The Verge
- Twitch blog