Watch Dogs promotion releases 1000 user email addresses

Watch Dogs alternate reality game leaks users' email address.

Watch Dogs, a game that centers around technology, paranoia, and data hacks, caused a stir today when it was revealed that users taking part in its promotional alternate reality game had their email addresses released in a mass email.

Publisher Ubisoft centered the alternate reality game around character Joseph Demarco, said to be owner behind art gallery dotconnexion. Users were asked to sign up for dotconnexion updates on the official website.

Today, Kotaku reports, they were alerted to the "death" of Demarco in an update which read:

"It is with great regret that we inform you that Joseph Demarco passed away in a tragic, yet unexplained accident. Being one of the most important philanthropists in the local digital art scene, his demise has left a deep void in the community. Out of respect for his friends and family, the dotconnexion exhibition will be cancelled. Sincerely yours, The dotconnexion Team"

However, the sender of the message added email addresses to the Cc rather than Bcc section. Only users with email addresses beginning with numbers or letters early in the alphabet are affected, while addresses started with I and M are not. At least 1000 participates had their addresses leaked.

It is unknown whether this was intentional to create further publicity for the game.

We have contacted Ubisoft and will update the post when new information becomes available.

No release date is available for Watch Dogs, but it is said to become available to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.