Gaming
Twitch hack: the real cost of unreported streaming app cybercrime (data & analysis)
As news breaks of a Twitch hack that has exposed 125GB of users’ personal data, a recent study by UK phone refurbishers Repair Outlet reveals the hidden cost of streaming app cybercrime.
Combining data from Action Fraud with global search data around app cybercrime, the study has revealed that app users lose an estimated £183 per break-in, with streaming site users potentially losing £3.3M a month.
Typically, Twitch users search for advice on account security 600 times a month, which could be costing £109,800 per month.
Though the data revealed in the mass leak may not have an immediate monetary impact, the personal data exposed could leave other accounts at risk and, for streamers on the site, could have a drastic effect on the money they can generate.
More broadly, Youtube is the most commonly searched streaming app, with 6,000 searches per month, costing an estimated £1M.
Netflix is the second-most vulnerable app, with 3,900 searches surrounding account break-ins, totaling £713,700 a month.
The most vulnerable streaming apps
|
App |
Category |
Global Monthly Search Volume |
Estimated Cost |
Cost in USD |
|
Youtube |
Streaming |
6000 |
£1,098,000 |
$1,506,000 |
|
Netflix |
Streaming |
3900 |
£713,700 |
$978,900 |
|
Spotify |
Streaming |
3800 |
£695,400 |
$953,800 |
|
Disney+ |
Streaming |
3600 |
£658,800 |
$903,600 |
|
Twitch |
Streaming |
600 |
£109,800 |
$150,600 |
App users search for cybercrime advice 92,120 times a month, meaning the global total could be as high as £16,857,960.
You can find the full data, along with online safety advice, in our original post here: https://repairoutlet.co.uk/blogs/news/the-state-of-app-security-report
Comment from Tom Peet, manager of Repair Outlet:
“Streaming service vulnerabilities may not always have an immediate monetary value but this can result in cybercriminals gaining access to your personal information which leads to further fraud online.
One of the most common mobile issues is operating system vulnerabilities which can occur when your device isn’t regularly updated. This is even more significant as your device ages as some models may stop receiving updates.
Smishing has also increased by as much as 700% in 2021, highlighting the serious risk to all app users of losing access to their accounts and losing money in the process.
It’s vital to keep on top of your online safety, practice good password hygiene and protect your device with antivirus software.”
Comment from Ian Reynolds, cybersecurity expert at SecureTeam:
“It’s hacks like this that reinforce the importance of the very basic levels of cybersecurity that we are still seeing large companies such as Twitch not take seriously enough.
The foundation of cybersecurity password protection is two-factor authentication. For example, you’ll notice this being enforced if you ever try to log into your Google account on a new device.
If Twitch had multi-step authentication as a defalt, the risk of vulnerable accounts would be much smaller, which in turn would give users more confidence when interacting with the app.
These are very basic cybersecurity pracitises that companies should already be enforcing to prevent attacks happening, not as reactive measures after a disaster has already struck.”
Methodology
The UK’s fraud prevention agency Action Fraud reported that the cost of social media and email cybercrime was £2.6M a year, or £183 per hack. Repair Outlet then calculated the cost per hack based on the number of people searching for app-specific terms globally to calculate the estimated total monthly cost.
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Battle of the Tribes
POLYTOPIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 BREAKS RECORD PARTICIPATION AS FINALS DRAW CLOSER
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Celebrated strategy game The Battle of Polytopia confirms its first ever World Championships has exceeded expectations with over 10,000 sign-ups in its qualifying rounds. While no stranger to tournaments, previously hosting smaller scale, local tournaments called ‘Polysseums’, developer Midjiwan’s first step into global esports has been met with extreme success. The inclusive esports event has a $10,000 prize pool and will conclude on 6 December 2025, 14:00-21:00.
The finals will take place in front of a live-studio audience, with expert commentary and a chance to peek behind the scenes at Midjiwan itself. First place will receive $4,000, the runner-up will take away $2,000, the third and fourth place finishers will get $1,500, and the fifth and sixth place $500.
The Polytopia World Championship 2025 is being hosted by eSports platform, Challengermode, who Midjiwan has relied on for its monthly local tournaments since 2022. Midjiwan also partnered with Black Molly Entertainment to help organise and manage the event. Black Molly Entertainment have years of experience managing eSports tournaments, with notable events including the Geoguesser World Cup and CS:GO Pinnacle Cup Championship.
Midjiwan has worked closely with its community to ensure engagement is high with each round, building a bespoke ‘Spectator Mode’ into the game so fans can watch each game live through the game itself. In the spectator mode the viewer has visibility of all players simultaneously, with stats on how many cities, technologies, kills and more available for quick access.
Christian Lovstedt, CEO of Midjiwan commented:
“Polytopia has always been about welcoming all kinds of players into the world of 4X strategy. That’s why our championship is open to everyone – not just pros with sponsors. We’ve been thrilled at the amount of interest this tournament received from our community, reaching participation numbers way beyond our expectations. We’re excited to bring the finalists to Stockholm and can’t wait to see the strategies that emerge.”
The Polytopia World Championship 2025 kicked off in September, with its ‘Battle of the Tribes’ qualifying round – weekly battles where players competed to be the best in each of the game’s 12 tribes. After an exciting six weeks, the top player from each tribe faced-off, reducing the qualifiers to six finalists. These six winners are listed down below.
|
Tribe |
Qualifying Player |
|
IMPERIUS |
ArthurL248 |
|
BARDUR |
slimmingboy |
|
OUMAJI |
Dreamlander3000 |
|
HOODRICK |
Theetat |
|
XIN-Xi |
LeLiberateur |
|
LUXIDOOR |
Meisterlampe |
Recaps of each round of the tournament prior to the finals can be watched on the official Battle of Polytopia YouTube channel.
-
Part 1: Polytopia World Championship 1st Qualifiers Wrap-Up – BARDUR, IMPERIUS, KICKOO, ZEBASI
-
Part 2: Qualifiers Wrap-Up – Oumaji Hoodrick Yadakk & Quetzali – World Champoinship 2025
-
Part 3: Final Qualifiers Wrap-Up – Xin-Xi, Luxidoor, Ai-Mo & Vengir – World Championship 2025
-
Face-off stream: https://youtube.com/live/GnU6mWPoJiY?feature=share
To watch the finals live on December 6,visit here: https://polytopia.io/stream/
To stay up to date on the Polytopia World Championship 2025, or purchase one of the limited tickets for the live event, visit the official website or join the Official Polytopia Discord.
The post POLYTOPIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 BREAKS RECORD PARTICIPATION AS FINALS DRAW CLOSER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Leading iGaming supplier Delasport teases a one-of-a-kind sports betting crash game called Betiator – a new in-play experience that merges live sports with the tension and excitement of crash games.
Inspired by the groundbreaking casino genre, the company once again pushes the whole industry to a new phase in evolution by allowing sports bettors to play in the same easy and fun way as fellow casino players. Crash games are booming in the casino world, showing that players crave more emotional, fast, and visually engaging formats – and Betiator brings that same adrenaline-charged energy to the sportsbook.
It changes the scene by introducing a truly innovative way to bet on sports, keeping players at the edge of their seats during the game. Designed to excite both sports bettors and casino players, it marks a defining moment for innovation.
This product comes as a logical next step in the evolution of live betting and the company’s goal to disrupt the iGaming industry. It demonstrates Delasport’s successful commitment to unique innovation: a strategy they call “Going Beyond Content” –building on the success of products and features like SuperPot, My Sportsbook, My Combo, Double My Winnings, and many more.
“Sports bettors deserve the same level of innovation and excitement that casino players get all the time,” Delasport’s CEO Oren Cohen Shwartz says. “At Delasport we’re taking the whole game to a new playing field with Betiator. Live betting won’t feel outdated anymore as we’re bringing in the thrill of the casino to sports betting.”
While details about Betiator remain under wraps for now, Delasport promises a completely new way to experience live sports. Operators and partners eager to see it in action can schedule exclusive demos and discover more at ICE Barcelona 2026, taking place January 19–21, where Betiator will make its official debut.
The post Delasport Unveils a Crash Game for Sports Betting appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
game’s 2026 industry barometer – the mood in the German games industry is beginning to brighten
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The post game’s 2026 industry barometer – the mood in the German games industry is beginning to brighten appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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