An old dispute, a hacked server, and artificial intelligence, of all things, as the tool: The community surrounding the long-deactivated MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies is currently experiencing a full-blown scandal. The game was originally officially online from 2003 to 2011 but has since continued to operate via fan-run emulator servers.
What Happened in the Star Wars Galaxies Server Hack?
A Reddit moderator, active under the name “Levarris”, has publicly admitted to having infiltrated a Star Wars Galaxies Legends community emulator server with the help of AI. User data was reportedly not affected, but server functions and game content were. According to his own statement, he acted out of personal resentment towards the affected emulator team.
Why Is a 14-Year-Old Dispute Behind the Incident?
According to reports, the conflict between the various Star Wars Galaxies emulator projects dates back around 14 years – from a time when the official game was already shut down and several fan teams were vying for their own unofficial successor servers. Such rivalries between competing emulator communities are not uncommon in the MMO scene: Similar turf wars have occurred in the past between private server operators for other long-discontinued games like City of Heroes or Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Particularly noteworthy in this case is the use of AI tools for the actual attack – a circumstance that demonstrates how significantly technical barriers for such actions have lowered. What will happen to the affected server team and what potential legal consequences the moderator might face remains to be seen.
Source: PC Gamer
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