As of June 2025, the BYOND game engine continues to face a persistent and disruptive Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack that began on May 10. This sustained assault has severely impacted BYOND’s central services, including its website, multiplayer lobby, and update servers, leading to widespread disruption across its community.
What’s Happening?
The attack involves large volumes of junk traffic overwhelming BYOND’s infrastructure, causing intermittent outages of the main website and central login services. Players have resorted to connecting directly to game servers using IP addresses, bypassing the usual server list. Bug reports and game downloads are now shared through community platforms like Discord.
A now-deleted Reddit post from a group calling itself the “FOSS Brethren of BYOND” has claimed responsibility. The group demands that BYOND’s creator open-source the engine, stating the attacks will continue until this happens. The creator has refused, and moderators suggest the campaign may be driven more by a personal grudge than a coordinated open-source push.
Community Impact
The attack has hit smaller projects especially hard, as they rely on BYOND’s master server list for visibility and updates. With the central services down, new players struggle to find servers and game updates fail silently. Community members have been sharing manual connection details via Discord, but overall player numbers have dropped. Fans are encouraged to support the platform through Patreon or SubscribeStar while the normal shopfront remains inaccessible.
Why This Matters
While DDoS attacks are typically used for extortion, using them to pressure a platform into open-sourcing is rare. This case shows how cheaply and easily public services can be disrupted—and how political or ideological goals can also motivate attackers. It’s a wake-up call for any online platform to prepare for outsized threats it may not have planned for.
Staying Online
The BYOND team is working with providers to strengthen filtering and reduce the impact of the attacks. Developers are hosting mirrors off-site, and the community continues to share tips and connection methods to keep games running. For other indie platforms, the takeaway is clear: maintain alternative communication channels, publish fallback connection guides, and separate critical revenue infrastructure from vulnerable public-facing systems.
Despite everything, BYOND’s community remains resilient—finding creative workarounds and keeping their games alive. The attackers want an open-source release. Instead, they’ve helped prove how tightly knit and determined this fan base truly is.
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