Security News > 2020 > October > Video-Game Piracy Group ‘Team Xecuter’ Leaders in Custody

The Department of Justice has nabbed two alleged leaders of a global, notorious video-game piracy group called Team Xecuter.

Console manufacturers and game developers implement various technical measures - from specific game cartridge designs to cryptographic keys on the software - to prevent the use of unauthorized firmware that could be used to play pirated video games.

"These defendants were allegedly leaders of a notorious international criminal group that reaped illegal profits for years by pirating video game technology of U.S. companies," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, in a Friday announcement.

"According to the indictment, Team Xecuter was so brazen that it even required customers to purchase a 'license' to unlock the full features of its custom firmware, the SX OS, in order to enable the ability to play pirated video games," according to the DoJ. The video-game and enthusiast markets are lucrative industries for cybercriminals.

Video-game companies are cracking down on these security challenges, and in particular the issue of piracy - with Nintendo filing two lawsuits against Nintendo Switch piracy resellers that were part of Team Xecuter, as well as against UberChips, a website that sold Team Xecuter's hardware.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/videogame-piracy-team-xecuter/159825/