Visual Arts Reports Possible Personal Information Leak After 'anemoi' Master Data Stolen
The breach was discovered not through internal monitoring but because the master data of a yet-unreleased game appeared on a foreign website, exposing a security gap in how Visual Arts protects its development assets and customer data.
Key Facts
- Visual Arts discovered the breach on April 19, 2024, when master data for the unreleased game 'anemoi' was found uploaded on an overseas website, five days before the game's April 24 release.
- The company submitted an initial report to Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission on May 11, 2024.
- As of the June 4 announcement, no secondary damage using the leaked information has been confirmed, and no other information beyond the 'anemoi' master data has been made public.
- Visual Arts has temporarily suspended new orders on its official online store VA STORE until safety is confirmed.
Reporting from 5 sources: 4Gamer.net, GAME Watch (Impress), KAI-YOU, Automaton, and 1 more.
Visual Arts, the parent company of visual novel brand Key, announced on June 4 that personal information may have been leaked due to unauthorized access by a third party. The breach was discovered when master data for the newly released title 'anemoi' was found uploaded without permission on an overseas website on April 19, before the game's April 24 release. An investigation revealed that authentication credentials for cloud storage used in the company's internal portal system were stolen, making it highly likely that internal data was taken. The scope of potentially leaked personal information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses of customers, business partners, job applicants, and employees, with over 10,000 records indicated. The exact number of affected individuals is still under investigation. As of the announcement, no secondary damage using the leaked information has been confirmed, and no other information beyond the 'anemoi' master data has been made public. Visual Arts submitted an initial report to Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission on May 11. The company has begun implementing preventive measures, including reviewing internal system access rights and strengthening authentication methods. The official online store VA STORE has temporarily suspended new orders until safety is confirmed.
Visual Arts said the breach was discovered only after the master data for "anemoi" appeared on a foreign website on April 19, five days before the game's April 24 release. The company submitted an initial report to Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission on May 11. The company said it is contacting potentially affected individuals sequentially.
The scope of potentially leaked personal information covers names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of customers, business partners, job applicants, and employees. 4Gamer.net reported that more than 10,000 personal records are involved. The exact number of affected individuals remains under investigation.
Visual Arts said it is reviewing internal system access rights, strengthening authentication methods, and enhancing information security education for all employees. The official online store VA STORE has temporarily suspended new orders. As of the announcement, no secondary damage using the leaked information has been confirmed, and no other information beyond the "anemoi" master data has been made public.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 5 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- 4Gamer.net ビジュアルアーツ，不正アクセスによる社内情報・個人情報の漏えいの可能性を公表。「anemoi」のマスターデータ無断アップロードが発覚のきっかけ
- GAME Watch (Impress) Keyを擁するビジュアルアーツ、個人情報漏えいの可能性があることを発表。「anemoi」のマスターデータも流出
- KAI-YOU ビジュアルアーツ、不正アクセス被害を報告 Key新作のデータ流出で発覚、個人情報漏えいの可能性も
- Automaton 「Key」運営元ビジュアルアーツが不正アクセス被害報告、“1万件規模”の個人情報漏えいの可能性。新作『anemoi』マスターデータの流出で発覚
- Inside ビジュアルアーツ、不正アクセスで個人情報漏洩の可能性ー新作『anemoi』データのほか、一部はマイナンバー情報も