- Steam removes BlockBlasters after it was found to contain crypto-stealing malware.
- The free-to-play platformer drained over $150,000 from hundreds of players.
- Latvian streamer Raivo Plavnieks lost $32,000 raised for stage 4 cancer treatment.
Valve removed a malicious video game from its Steam platform after cybersecurity researchers discovered it contained hidden software designed to steal cryptocurrency from users' digital wallets.
The free-to-play game, called BlockBlasters, masqueraded as a legitimate platformer while secretly draining funds from players who downloaded it. Before its removal on Sept. 21, the malware had stolen more than $150,000 from victims, according to security researchers.
The scheme targeted content creators through spearphishing campaigns that offered paid promotional opportunities, cybersecurity group vx-underground said on X. Streamers who agreed to showcase the game unknowingly installed the malicious software.
Among the victims was Latvian streamer Raivo Plavnieks, who said he lost $32,000 that had been raised for his stage 4 cancer treatment after downloading the game, according to technology publication Bleeping Computer.
A Hidden Threat on Steam
BlockBlasters was initially published on Steam on July 30 by developer Genesis Interactive as what appeared to be a standard video game. The malicious code wasn't added until Aug. 30, allowing the title to first accumulate more than 200 positive user reviews that helped establish its credibility.
The incident adds to a growing list of malicious games that have infiltrated Steam's marketplace, including titles such as PirateFi and Sniper: Phantom's Resolution.
The case underscores persistent security challenges facing major digital distribution platforms as they balance accessibility for developers with protection for consumers. Steam hosts hundreds of thousands of games, making comprehensive security screening a complex undertaking.
Cybersecurity experts say cryptocurrency-stealing malware has become increasingly sophisticated, often hiding within legitimate-seeming applications to exploit user trust. The financial losses from such attacks can be particularly devastating because cryptocurrency transactions are typically irreversible.
