Game developers vs. cyber threats: How to stay ahead

From early build leaks and gameplay exploits to employee data breaches, cheating and piracy, cybersecurity risks in gaming are rising fast! 

Modern game development therefore demands robust cybersecurity to protect player data, prevent cheating and safeguard intellectual property. This means implementing security from design to deployment, through secure coding, proactive threat modeling, regular updates and team-wide awareness, should be prioritized to mitigate evolving risks. 

That was also the main focus of our GDC 2025 session, “Cybersecurity challenges in modern game development,” with Niels Haverkorn and Andreas Ullmann, SVP Gaming and Product Manager at Denuvo, respectively, Thomas Goebl, Senior Director of Game Security at 2K Games and Hiroshi (Waki) Kadowaki, CTO and SVP Product Development at SEGA of America. 

Biggest cybersecurity challenges for developers: What are they? 

1. Protect monetization and revenue

Game developers face constant challenges in protecting their monetization and revenue, as piracy, cheats and unauthorized distribution can quickly erode profits. These threats not only impact direct sales but also undermine long-term revenue streams from subscriptions, downloadable content and microtransactions. 

2. Cross-platform gaming environment

The gaming ecosystem these days, especially for PC, has fragmented significantly across many platforms: Linux Proton, Windows on ARM, Gaming Porting Toolkit on Mac and cloud services like Amazon Luna. This shift creates opportunities but also major cybersecurity challenges, requiring developers to ensure robust security measures with ongoing monitoring and upgrades across platforms to safeguard player data and prevent cheating – all without compromising performance or user experience.

3. Early leaks during development process 

Developers frequently offer demos to build excitement and collect feedback. This, however, introduces cybersecurity risks, particularly the possibility of the demo being exploited to crack the full game version. 

Additionally, many developers run both closed alpha and beta tests prior to launch, which can result in leaks of gameplay footage or even full game builds. If these versions are cracked and sensitive information is made public, it can severely disrupt the studio's promotional plans. In the worst scenario, this could spark community backlash and ultimately shorten the game’s lifespan. 

4. The lack of general understanding about cybersecurity

Many game developers still assume cybersecurity only applies to online games, but that’s no longer true. The entire industry is shifting toward a lifetime value model where all titles are online games in some form. Even developers of standalone, packaged games need to focus on sustaining user engagement to maximize revenue from downloadable content and future updates. This means launching a game is just the start of an ongoing cycle that requires constant security attention. Furthermore, developers also need to stay updated with evolving regulations, such as GDPR, California Consumer Privacy Act and many more to come, as today such laws are growing in number and importance. 

What are effective approaches for developers to address these challenges?

1. Securing coding is a key part of cybersecurity strategy

Reverse engineering and data mining happen almost immediately after release. It is therefore vital to secure sensitive data with obfuscation, encryption and by removing unnecessary files, such as debug code, internal notes, unauthorized tools and especially .pdb files, from the final builds. Developers should thoroughly understand how game engines package final builds and rigorously check for unintended files before release. 

2. Incorporate threat modeling on potential threats and attack factors into the game lifecycle

A high-level approach should be applied by digging deeper into the details of the game’s engine, monetization model, competitive elements and release platforms. Based on these factors, they can determine the necessary protections, like anti-piracy for single-player games or anti-cheat for competitive features, then go deeper into specific security needs. 

By using automated tools and reverse engineering to analyze early builds and flag risks early internally together with cybersecurity team, developers can address security gaps, integrate improvements into the development roadmap and strengthen security over the game’s lifecycle. 

3. Stay updated with essential cybersecurity tools and updates

Game developers should understand tools used by modders and hackers, like specific open-source libraries, DLL injection and network monitors like Wireshark, to identify vulnerabilities early. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can be useful in detecting malicious behavior and teaching secure coding. 

Moreover, continuous monitoring of cheat tools and exploits is essential, with findings shared quickly for fixes. It is crucial not only for security teams but also for studios and publishers to stay informed. When exploits are found, they should be triaged, tested and shared with studios for timely fixes.  

Additionally, it is critical to dispel the misconception that platform Digital Rights Management (DRM) solutions equate to security. While DRM systems handle license management and access control, they do not inherently protect against vulnerabilities or malicious exploits. Robust, dedicated anti-piracy solutions are therefore required to mitigate the threats of piracy. 

What strategies can developers employ to prevent theft or unauthorized use of game’s intellectual property? 

The effectiveness of piracy protection depends on the game type. Online-only games naturally offer better protection, as servers can validate ownership, whereas games with offline functionality are more vulnerable since common DRM systems are easily bypassed. Developers should not rely solely on platform DRMs but should implement their own protection or partner with specialists. 

Moreover, cloud gaming platforms like Amazon Luna and Nvidia GeForce NOW offer enhanced security compared to traditional distribution, as users cannot directly access server-side game processes, even though they can come with other threads, like account sharing. Similarly, for pre-release testing and media reviews, using remote desktop tools and special watermarked builds provides a more secure way to share content while minimizing the risk of leaks. 

What is the best practice for developers to protect player data? 

There are four key risk mitigation practices for handling user data. 

• Separate sensitive data: Personal information like names and emails should be kept separate from game data and handled by IT or security teams instead of game developers. This structure is very important and should become a common practice. 
• Anonymize analytics: In-game telemetry should remain anonymous, with no personal data collected. 
• Monitor third-party tools: Regularly testing and monitoring network traffic should be conducted, especially for free-to-play mobile games with in-game advertisement, to ensure third-party software design kits do not to send unauthorized data to unknown servers. 
• Collaborate with legal and privacy teams: Maintain ongoing communication with legal/privacy groups for regular audits and ensure compliance with data protection regulations. 

Level up your defenses, tackle cyber threats in gaming! 

Watch our full GDC 2025 session here to hear leading industry experts discuss the cybersecurity challenges in modern game development and strategies to protect your titles from emerging threats. 

If you’d like to explore how Irdeto can support your cybersecurity needs, don’t hesitate to contact us.