- Experts warn that there are millions of malware variants with games
- Hackers are attracting players with the promise of loaders, cracks, exclusive content and more
- GTA, Minecraft and COD are among the most abuse titles
Grand Theft Auto V (GTA), Minecraft, Call of Duty (COD) and other popular games are being abused from left and right to distribute malware among the Gen Z games community, experts warned.
A report by cybersecurity researchers in Kaspersky has affirmed between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025, there were more than 19 million attempts to download malicious files that counterfeit popular games titles.
In general, he believes that some 400,000 people worldwide may have been affected, many of them younger players.
GTA, Minecraft, COD, Sims All Hit
Kaspersky says that threat actors are looking for older games with large and prosperous communities.
GTA V was published more than a decade ago, but thanks to its open world modification capabilities, it is still very popular. In fact, he sold more than 215 million copies worldwide to date, which makes it one of the best -selling video games of all time.
The researchers detected almost 4.5 million attack attempts involving GTA -related files.
The fact that GTA 6 is just around the corner (it is expected to be launched in 2026) only exacerbates the problem, since the exaggeration prior to launch will definitely be abused to distribute false installers, early access offers and beta invitations.
Minecraft, another very popular title, took second place, with 4.1 million attack attempts. Similar to GTA, the attacks were mainly driven by the vast ecosystem of modification of the game and lasting popularity. Cod occupied third place with 2.6 million attacks, followed by the Sims with 2.4 million.
Computer pirates generally seek victims in forums, social media groups and chats and instant messaging channels.
They announce cracks, loaders, different modifications and accessories, which often become inflators, cryptocurrency kidnappers, put and trly. Kaspersky has urged players to refrain from downloading pirate content and being skeptical of gifts, promises of rare skins or various bonds.
