Nintendo Investigates ShadowBytes Ransom Threat Over Employee Datales

Nintendo says it is investigating an incident after a ransomware and extortion group called ShadowBytes claimed it had stolen employee data and threatened to leak the information unless a ransom was paid.

According to a report from Kotaku, ShadowBytes published an extortion notice on June 12, claiming to possess 859MB of private Nintendo employee data. The group alleged that the dataset includes employee email addresses, full names, bank statements, and private conversations.

The threat actors reportedly demanded a $2 million ransom and gave Nintendo 48 hours to respond. The group warned that it would release the data publicly if an agreement was not reached.

ShadowBytes Shifts Pressure to TinyPulse

After Nintendo allegedly refused to pay, ShadowBytes escalated its campaign on June 14 by targeting TinyPulse, a third-party employee feedback and engagement platform used by Nintendo of America.

The group claimed it could release private employee communications and survey-related information if TinyPulse failed to negotiate.

The move suggests the attackers may have gained access to data through a third-party service rather than through Nintendo’s own infrastructure.

Nintendo Says Internal Systems Were Not Breached

Nintendo confirmed that it is aware of an issue involving TinyPulse but stated that its own systems were not compromised.

In a statement, the company said no personal customer information or financial customer data was accessed during the incident.

Nintendo added that the affected information appears limited to internal survey content involving a small subset of employees. According to the company, most of the data involved dates back several years.

The company also said it is working with TinyPulse to investigate the situation and address any potential impact.

In other Nintendo news, the company has confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake is coming to the upcoming Switch 2. Meanwhile, FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods is set to receive a closed network test later this summer, giving players an early chance to experience the highly anticipated title.

Nintendo has also continued rolling out updates for both the current Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, focusing on system stability, performance improvements, and enhanced compatibility features as anticipation builds for the next-generation console.