Group launches sustained DDoS attacks on BYOND in bid to force open-source release

The long-running game development platform BYOND, best known for community-driven multiplayer titles like Space Station 13, remains under a sustained distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The disruption has severely affected the platform's website and hub services, with mitigation efforts still ongoing, according to coverage from Massively Overpowered.

According to a pinned Reddit thread, a group identifying itself as the "FOSS Brethren of BYOND" has claimed responsibility. The attackers issued a manifesto demanding BYOND's engine be open-sourced. Moderator Spevacus confirmed that lead developer LummoxJR "will not be complying."

Massively Overpowered further reports that the group's message warned:

Attacks on BYOND servers are a symptom of your obstinance... We demand you voluntarily side with progress.

In a developer update, LummoxJR confirmed the ongoing nature of the attacks, writing:

Well, that happened. And it's still happening.

He urged users to support BYOND via SubscribeStar and Patreon, and noted that long-form updates were being posted to BYONDiscord, with his permission for them to be shared outside the server. Players have been using workarounds such as direct IP launching (byond://IP:PORT) and the client's Ctrl + O feature. As one user explained:

"If you go to BYOND and do Ctrl + O… you can enter the IP address."

The incident raises broader concerns about the ethics of digital coercion and the blurred boundaries between activism and attack in open-source discourse.