Sega and Bandai Namco arcade networks go dark after server breach in Japan
A week-long outage knocked arcade machines offline across Japan following unauthorized access to the ALL.Net platform, leaving rows of gaming cabinets dark and silent.
Japanese arcades fell silent this week when a cyberattack disrupted the backbone network that powers thousands of gaming machines. According to ITMedia News, the outage left numerous venues with nothing but blank screens where flashing lights and sound effects normally dominate. The disruption affected machines from both Sega and Bandai Namco, though arcade operators signaled that recovery efforts were underway.
ALL.Net, the Amusement Linkage Live Network established by Sega in 2004, serves as the central hub connecting arcade cabinets to online services. The platform enables automatic game updates, data collection, multiplayer functionality, and competitive leaderboards. Popular titles dependent on this infrastructure include Sega's Initial D The Arcade, Maimai, and CHUNITHM, alongside Bandai Namco offerings such as Aiko no Tatsujin, Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, and Gundam Extreme Vs.
In a statement dated November 2, ALL.Net and Sega Fave disclosed that services had been suspended after discovering "unauthorized access by a third party." The operators assured users that personal information and payment details were not stored on the affected servers. The company requested additional time to complete investigations and security assessments before bringing systems back online.
By November 3, progress emerged on the recovery front. ALL.Net announced that Bandai Namco games "will gradually resume operation on a trial basis starting today (online play and card use enabled)." Sega's portfolio remained under maintenance with online services still unavailable. No timeline for full restoration has been provided, though the operator pledged to issue an update by November 10.
The outage spared arcade machines that operate entirely offline, which continued functioning normally throughout the incident. Competing arcade networks operated by Taito and Konami, which maintain independent authentication and networking systems, were unaffected by the breach.