Ubisoft used piracy hack to fix snafu
Official fix for RSV2 Direct2Drive issue came from pirates circumventing copy protection methods
Ubisoft's official fix for a Rainbow Six Vegas 2 patch snafu turned out to be a pirated hack.
The problem began when the publisher released a new patch for the PC game this month which added new play modes and other upgrades. Although Rainbow Six Vegas 2 had been sold as both a retail version and a digital download, the patch checked to see if the game CD was in the PC before allowing it to play.
According to The Register, software pirates quickly found a way around the patch's disc check, releasing a hacked executable. Ubisoft understandably forbade discussion of the hack on its forums when Direct2Drive customers complained about not having physical media that the patch could recognise.
An Ubisoft employee eventually uploaded a fix for the problem to the company's support site, but it turned out that the official fix was in fact a cracked version of the hacked executable.
"The file was removed from the site over a week ago now and the matter is being thoroughly investigated by senior tech support managers here at Ubisoft," the company said in a statement today.
"Needless to say we do not support or condone copy protection circumvention methods like this and this particular incident is in direct conflict with Ubisoft's policies."