Ubisoft user details stolen by hackers

Games publisher suffers security breach - usernames, email addresses and passwords stolen

Ubisoft has suffered a security breach, with hackers accessing information including player usernames, email addresses and passwords, the video games publisher has confirmed in an email to its users.

While Ubisoft says no credit or debit card information was accessed - with that data stored on a different server - the firm recommends all users change their uPlay passwords.

The firm is currently refusing to go into specific details of how the breach occurred, citing "security reasons".

High-profile games in Ubisoft's catalogue include Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Watch Dogs.

"We recently found that one of our websites was exploited to gain unauthorised access to some of our online systems. We instantly took steps to close off this access, investigate the incident and begin restoring the integrity of any compromised systems," read the email to uPlay account holders.

"During this process, we learned that data had been illegally accessed from our account database, including user names, email addresses and encrypted passwords.

"Please note that no personal payment information is stored with Ubisoft, meaning your debit/credit card information was safe from this intrusion," it continued.

"As a result, we are recommending that you change the password for your account."

Ubisoft has created a short term link that allows users to immediately change their uPlay password. The games publisher also recommends users change passwords for other websites and services if they're similar to that of their Ubisoft account.

Ubisoft's security team is now investigating the breach and consulting with the authorities and cyber security experts.

Sony's PlayStation Network, Activision Blizzard's World of Warcraft and Mojang's Minecraft have also fallen victim to cyber criminals in recent years. However, Ubisoft believes "there is no evidence that this intrusion is related to any other game company's previous security incidents".