Founded in 2022, Fawkes Games Ltd is a European indie gaming studio known for publishing popular massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) such as Shaiya and Last Chaos. The company’s mission is to breathe new life into forgotten games and reignite passion within their communities. When faced with significant cybersecurity challenges, Fawkes partnered with Gcore to implement a robust DDoS protection solution, ensuring exceptional gaming experiences for players worldwide.
Rising Popularity Attracts Persistent Cyber Threats
Fawkes offers end-to-end game operations services, including hosting, community building, user acquisition, retention, and streamlining user feedback. In 2023, the company faced a series of sophisticated DDoS attacks, resulting in service disruptions and a decline in player satisfaction. The attacks began as persistent short bursts and escalated into vast connection floods, peaking at 2 Tbps. The company’s existing security provider was unable to manage the scale and multi-vector nature of these attacks, which bypassed conventional security measures, causing significant disruption to the company’s operations.
“From the moment we went live, our servers were under constant threat. We were bombarded with attacks that overwhelmed our infrastructure and affected gameplay. The attacks demanded a significant portion of our resources, with up to 30% of our engineering time dedicated to DDoS mitigation alone,” explains Nico, Operations Director at Fawkes.
The attacks not only strained the company’s resources but also jeopardized its reputation for delivering stable and immersive gaming environments.
Tailored Countermeasures to Combat Sophisticated DDoS Attacks
Fawkes needed a robust security solution that could handle persistent and constantly evolving DDoS attacks. After evaluating various options, the company selected Gcore as the ideal partner to bolster its security posture. Gcore’s distributed network infrastructure and advanced technologies, including its user datagram protocol (UDP) challenge-response system, aligned perfectly with the team’s requirements for neutralizing large-scale DDoS attacks.
“Gcore’s features enabling us to limit connections per IP and implement user challenge protections were exactly what we needed,” comments Ivan, Technical Director at Fawkes.
Deploying Gcore DDoS Protection marked a turning point for Fawkes. Gcore developed a tailored defense strategy with protocol-specific countermeasures that were integrated into Fawkes’ infrastructure using a proxy server. The integration process was seamless and efficient, minimizing disruptions and quickly fortifying the company’s defenses.
Mitigating DDoS Attacks with Ease and Increasing Operational Efficiency
The results were immediate and impactful, both for the company and its global gaming community. With Gcore DDoS Protection in place, Fawkes successfully thwarted multiple botnet attacks. Gcore’s mitigation systems effectively neutralized these attacks before they ever reached Fawkes’ infrastructure, ensuring that services remained flawless and uninterrupted.
“Since implementing Gcore, we’ve successfully mitigated massive DDoS attacks without our players experiencing any disruption, underscoring the exceptional performance and reliability of our services,” says Nico.
The implementation of Gcore DDoS Protection not only ensured service stability but also marked a significant improvement in operational efficiency at Fawkes. The reduction in time spent on DDoS mitigation freed up valuable resources for game development and community engagement initiatives.
“With Gcore, we’ve achieved a newfound stability in our operations, which has undoubtedly enhanced the gaming experience of our player community,” comments Ivan.
A Strategic Partner to Stay Ahead of Security Threats
The strategic collaboration between Fawkes and Gcore extends beyond immediate problem-solving. Through regular updates and strategic discussions, Gcore proactively assists Fawkes in staying ahead of potential cybersecurity threats.
“Open communication with Gcore, including during attacks, provides us with peace of mind and confidence in our security measures,” concludes Nico.
Gcore has enabled Fawkes to overcome complex cybersecurity challenges, secure game operations, and reinforce its commitment to providing an outstanding gaming experience to player communities worldwide. Looking ahead, this partnership underscores the critical role of advanced cybersecurity in the ever-evolving landscape of online gaming.
