Sony disables LittleBigPlanet servers after horrendous transphobic messages were displayed in-game
LittleBigPlanet. (Sony)
The online servers for PlayStation title LittleBigPlanet have been temporarily disabled due to transphobic hackers.
A statement was made on the LittleBigPlanet Twitter account on 22 May.
https://twitter.com/LittleBigPlanet/status/1396059056939446276?s=20
“Due to the severity of the recent attacks we have no other option than to temporarily disable the game servers. We do not take these attacks lightly especially when they target our loyal community members. Thanks for understanding,” it reads.
This follows a previous tweet from 21 May stating: “We are aware that some of our community are experiencing issues with the servers. Please be assured that we are investigating these new attacks and will update you when we know more.”
https://twitter.com/LittleBigPlanet/status/1395827223551225865?s=20
The hackers have been posting virulently transphobic, abusive and hateful messages, some of which have been shared on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/HeyHeyItMaymay/status/1396142724718411778?s=20
Reddit user blueblur98_YT also referenced the messages in a post.
The LittleBigPlanet servers have been experiencing difficulties for the past couple of months, which may or may not relate to these hackers.
https://twitter.com/LittleBigPlanet/status/1370409393938968578?s=20
The Twitter account does mention improvements to server security that took place at the end of April.
https://twitter.com/LittleBigPlanet/status/1387119377502416905?s=20
Some fans believe the server has been the repeated target of a DDOS campaign from one disgruntled hacker unhappy with Sony’s treatment of the series.
It’s unclear if this latest attack is by the same person.
Fans have been using #SaveLBP to share their feelings on Twitter.
The platformer game was originally released in 2008 for the PS3 but remains popular as users are able to create and share their own crafted levels online.
It was followed up by two sequels, which all coexist on the same servers. Any issues will affect all three games.
PlayStation 5 owners can instead play Sackboy: A Big Adventure. A spin-off of the series, it eschews the series’ trademark user-generated content for a creative 3D platformer.
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