Ubisoft filed a lawsuit this week against an internet group that distributed DDoS software for its tactical multiplayer shooter Rainbow Six Siege. The publisher claims that 14 people operating under the name SNG.ONE sold subscriptions of up to $299 USD to let players gain unfair advantages in the popular FPS.
Rainbow Six Siege players have had to deal with hackers using distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS for short), with affected players suffering from connection issues and game-breaking lag. The lawsuit against SNG.ONE isn't the first one related to the game; Ubisoft sued the owner of a Siege cheat distribution site in October, and the company announced last summer that it would be pursuing legal action against distributors of DDoS software and other hacks.
A copy of the lawsuit was obtained by Polygon, and lists ten unidentified defendants alongside two from Germany, one from Nigeria and another from the Netherlands. Ubisoft alleges that in addition to selling the unsanctioned software, SNG.ONE repeatedly taunted the publisher for failing to prevent the group from harming the Rainbow Six Siege gameplay experience. Ubisoft's terms don't specify a particular amount of damages to be awarded, but the company intends to recoup the operation's proceeds and its legal fees, and for the group's websites to be taken down.
A screenshot of a website run by SNG.ONE that appears in the lawsuit also lists services associated with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, FIFA 20, and Fortnite, other popular competitive games. The group did not respond to Polygon's comment request, and its social media accounts and websites have gone inactive.
In the four years since its launch, Rainbow Six Siege has grown from a humdrum revival of a cult favorite into one of the biggest success stories of the generation for Ubisoft. With the title building a dedicated base and continuing to grow thanks to its esport-focused, strategy-heavy gameplay and large cast of Operators for players to choose from, it's no surprise that the publisher wants to keep the experience consistent for everyone. Ubisoft's efforts to eliminate DDoS attacks from Siege have been pretty successful since publicly releasing its plan to solve the issue last year, with the reported amount of attacks decreasing by 93%. Efforts like these appear to be a big part of the company's strategy for removing the remaining 7%.
Rainbow Six Siege is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Polygon