Visual Arts Reports Possible Personal Information Leak After 'anemoi' Master Data Stolen
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.