In late December 2025, Rainbow Six Siege experienced a serious security breach that forced Ubisoft to shut down the game’s servers. The incident, which granted players massive amounts of in-game currency and items, quickly became one of the most disruptive events in the game’s history.
What Happened
On December 27, players began reporting impossible changes to their accounts. Many received billions of R6 Credits, large sums of Renown, and rare or developer-only cosmetic items without any action on their part. At the same time, unusual system behavior appeared, including random bans and strange messages in the in-game ban feed. These signs pointed to a compromise of Ubisoft’s backend systems rather than a traditional cheat affecting individual players.
Ubisoft’s Response
Ubisoft reacted by taking Rainbow Six Siege servers and the in-game marketplace offline to contain the breach and investigate. The company later confirmed that players would not be banned for receiving or spending the unauthorized credits. To undo the damage, Ubisoft announced a rollback of all transactions and account changes made since around 11:00 UTC on December 27. While services have been gradually restored, Ubisoft has not yet provided a clear timeline for full recovery.
Possible Cause of the Breach
Although Ubisoft has not officially confirmed the technical details, several security researchers believe the attack may be linked to a MongoDB vulnerability known as “MongoBleed” (CVE-2025-14847). This flaw can allow attackers to leak memory and potentially obtain sensitive credentials. If exploited, such access could explain how attackers were able to manipulate currency balances, inventories, and moderation systems. Reports suggesting multiple hacker groups were involved remain speculative.
Why It Matters
Beyond the temporary outage, the incident raised serious concerns about the security of live-service games and the stability of Rainbow Six Siege’s economy. While some players reacted with surprise or humor, others expressed worry about account safety and long-term trust in Ubisoft’s online infrastructure. The event serves as a reminder of how impactful backend security failures can be in modern online games.
References
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Dexerto — Rainbow Six Siege hacked as attackers give players billions of in-game currency
https://www.dexerto.com/rainbow-six/rainbow-six-siege-hacked-as-attackers-give-players-billions-of-in-game-currency-ubisoft-responds-3298216/ -
Tom’s Guide — Massive Rainbow Six Siege breach reportedly linked to MongoBleed flaw
https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/online-security/massive-rainbow-six-siege-breach-reportedly-linked-to-mongobleed-flaw-everything-you-need-to-know -
Dot Esports — Ubisoft responds after Rainbow Six Siege hack shuts down servers
https://dotesports.com/rainbow-6/news/rainbow-six-siege-hack-ubisoft -
Times of India — Rainbow Six Siege goes offline as Ubisoft takes down servers
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/gaming/rainbow-six-siege-down-ubisoft-takes-down-games-servers-as-players-receive-free-rewards -
Glitch Rant — Rainbow Six Siege hacked, billions of credits distributed
https://www.glitchrant.com/rainbow-six-siege-hacked-2-billion-credits-bans/