Online Games and DDoS Attacks
Online gaming is a worldwide trend, with millions of gamers competing in multiplayer games on different platforms. But as online games grow in popularity, so does the risk of cyberattacks. One of the most disturbing ways by which hackers attack online games is the DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack.
Such attacks include filling up game networks or servers with vast volumes of traffic and disrupting gameplay and the gaming experience as a whole to a great extent. Therefore, in this blog, we are going to describe how hackers utilize DDoS attacks to disrupt online gaming in a variety of ways. So, stay with us here and keep reading below.
Top 6 Ways Hackers Interrupt Online Games Using DDoS Attacks
Online gaming has become a worldwide phenomenon over the past few years, with millions of players playing multiplayer games online across different platforms. Perhaps the most destructive intrusion that hackers put on web games is through the technique of DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. Such attacks, which involve pouring over massive amounts of traffic to a server or network, have the potential to create widespread issues for both game developers and gamers.
In this blog, we’ll explore the ways that hackers leverage DDoS attacks to disrupt online games, examining how they overload servers, increase latency, target players, and more. So, keep an eye on this page to reveal the notion.
1. Server Overload
One of the most prevalent methods hackers break up online games using DDoS is by overwhelming game servers. Online multiplayer games rely on dedicated servers hosting the gaming environment to provide seamless gameplay and inter-player interaction. In a DDoS attack, the attackers utilize an array of compromised devices, popularly termed a botnet, to overburden the server of the game with excessive traffic.
This surge of traffic saturates the server and is not able to handle requests, leading to a crash or inability to operate in the usual manner. Once the server is saturated, it is no longer able to handle authorized traffic from players attempting to play the game. The game itself may then become completely unavailable, with players not able to play or access it. For this, you can get the assistance of experts from the cybersecurity companies in Dubai to protect your servers and online network from DDoS attacks.
2. Increased Latency and Lag
Increased latency and lag are among the harsh effects of DDoS attacks on internet gaming. Latency is a measure of the time it takes for a player's action to receive its expected response in the game. In competitive online games, this is significant since timing and accuracy are critical. DDoS attacks can trigger increased latency by overwhelming the link between the player device and the game server. Because the server is overloaded with spam traffic, the response time of legitimate players' requests is reduced.
This causes the game to be slow since movement, attacks, or actions are made with a perceptible lag. Players attempting to fire or move can experience their actions being delayed, not only frustrating but also impacts their performance negatively. Thus, lag due to a DDoS attack can be very significant for casual and competitive players alike, resulting in a poor experience and even forcing players to quit the game.
3. Disrupting Player Connections
In a typical multi-player game on the internet, players log into a central server so that they can play together with other players simultaneously. When hackers carry out a DDoS attack, they have the option of targeting individual players or individual game servers so that they can log out players from the game. Targeting specific players or even teams, hackers can drop players from the connection, and compel them to log out or disconnect.
This is a worst-case scenario for competitive players. Not only does it spoil the experience for the victim player but also gives a free pass to the rest of the gamers, resulting in complaints and grievances. In very bad situations, if the DDoS attack is successful in disconnecting huge numbers of players, it may result in a match being abandoned or affected gameplay for an entire gaming session.
4. Disabling Matchmaking Systems
DDoS attacks don't only target the game servers themselves but it can also knock out matchmaking systems. Online games rely very heavily on matchmaking in order to match players of equal skill level in a balanced and fair environment. DDoS can be used by hackers as a means of attacking matchmaking servers, making them unable to efficiently match players.
For example, if players are trying to queue up to play a match, but the matchmaking system is flooded with fake traffic by botnets. This can result in delays, failure to match players, or even crash the matchmaking system altogether. As a result, players may see longer waiting times, not be able to join games or see incomplete matchmaking queues. If the matchmaking mechanism is interrupted or slowed down, the players get frustrated, and overall engagement and player satisfaction are reduced.
5. Disrupting Updates or Maintenance
Another manner in which DDoS attacks can be held accountable for causing issues in games online is by breaking into updates or maintenance schedules. Online games often require periodic updating, patching, and fixing to ensure stable gameplay, add new features, and implement bug or security patches.
If the servers are being attacked, the maintenance procedure can last much longer than anticipated or even fail outright. This implies that critical patches are postponed, and bugs or security vulnerabilities that are not fixed remain in the game. Additionally, waiting players will be frustrated by the absence of patches, and this will result in dissatisfaction and even player loss.
Ready to Prevent DDoS Attacks from Your Games
DDoS attacks are one of the most manipulative ways hackers play to interrupt online games, and their impact can be drastic, ranging from people who play recreationally to professional players. These kinds of attacks result in server overload, high latency, lost connections, and even crashes on matchmaking systems, all of which take away from the player experience and are irritating. As gaming becomes more prevalent on the internet, game developers, game platforms, and even the players themselves need to be on their guard against such attacks. By instituting strong security protocols and staying alert at the threat detection and response level, the gaming community can continue offering an uninterrupted and pleasurable experience to millions of global users.
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