- Experts warn there are millions of game-themed malware variants out there
- Hackers are luring gamers with the promise of loaders, cracks, exclusive content, and more
- GTA, Minecraft, and COD are among the most-abused titles
Grand Theft Auto V (GTA), Minecraft, Call of Duty (CoD), and other popular games, are being abused left and right to distribute malware among the Gen Z gaming community, experts have warned.
A report from cybersecurity researchers at Kaspersky has claimed between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, there were more than 19 million attempts to download malicious files spoofing popular gaming titles.
Overall, it believes some 400,000 people worldwide may have been affected, many of them younger gamers.
GTA, Minecraft, CoD, Sims all hit
Kaspersky says the threat actors are going for older games with large, thriving communities.
GTA V was published more than a decade ago, but thanks to its open-world modding capabilities, it is still hugely popular. In fact, it sold more than 215 million copies worldwide to date, making it one of the best-selling video games of all time.
The researchers detected almost 4.5 million attack attempts involving files disguised as GTA-related content.
The fact that GTA 6 is around the corner (it is expected to be released in 2026) only exacerbates the problem, since the hype leading up to the release will most definitely be abused to distribute fake installers, early access offers, and beta invites.
Minecraft, another hugely popular title, ranked second, with 4.1 million attack attempts. Similar to GTA, the attacks were driven mostly by the game’s vast modding ecosystem and enduring popularity. CoD ranked third with 2.6 million attacks, followed by The Sims with 2.4 million.
Hackers usually hunt for victims on forums, social media groups, and instant messaging chats and channels.
They advertise cracks, loaders, different mods and add-ons, which often turn out to be infostealers, cryptocurrency hijackers, backdoors, and Trojans. Kaspersky has urged gamers to refrain from downloading pirated content, and be skeptical of giveaways, promises of rare skins, or various bonuses.
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