Arknights: Endfield pauses PayPal payments after widespread unauthorised charges and user refunds

Arknights: Endfield has suspended PayPal payments across all platforms after several players reported unauthorised transactions and missing funds, with developer Hypergryph promising full refunds and a public investigation.

On 22 January 2026, Hypergryph halted all PayPal transactions in Arknights: Endfield just hours after the game’s global launch, following a surge of player complaints about unauthorised payments and depleted account balances. Multiple users posted evidence on community forums like the Arknights: Endfield Reddit, showing unapproved charges in various global currencies and, in some cases, the apparent cross-linking of PayPal accounts with new game accounts.

Screenshots uploaded by victims indicate that some logins triggered large sums to be withdrawn without consent. One affected player, Impossible Clover 818, detailed in a post titled ‘Did anyone get refunded for the PayPal nonsense yet? My whole balance got wiped’ that “£1,200 was wiped” from their PayPal account shortly after launch. They reported being prompted for real-world identification by PayPal, citing “suspicious activity.”

Official developer response and refund commitments

Hypergryph responded publicly on the official Arknights: Endfield social media, stating:

Hypergryph is aware of the problem, and that it affects “a small number of purchases” made via PayPal, and that was an “inconsistency between the order and item delivery”. It then asks impacted players to contact the company via email, and to provide their account server and ID for a refund. The statement goes on to assert that all refunds are expected to be resolved “within four hours”.

All affected transactions, Hypergryph claims, should be refunded within four hours of the official post. The cause of the bug, whether it is a security breach, payment processing fault, or platform integration error, has not been clarified by the studio.

When contacted earlier by Eurogamer, a Hypergryph spokesperson issued the following statement:

We want to sincerely apologize to everyone affected by the PayPal payment issue that occurred shortly after launch. We understand how upsetting and concerning this kind of situation can be, especially when it involves purchases and personal payment details. Here’s what we want to clearly share with you: All affected PayPal purchases will be fully refunded.

We’ve already begun processing refunds for impacted orders. We do not store players’ payment information. Payment details are handled directly by PayPal and are not saved in our systems. This issue only affected some players on certain platforms when using PayPal. As soon as we became aware of the problem, we disabled PayPal payments within roughly two hours of launch to prevent any further impact.

At the moment, PayPal payments will remain unavailable while we continue to investigate the root cause together with our partners. We won’t re-enable the payment option until we’re confident the issue has been fully resolved. We’re truly sorry for the stress and inconvenience this caused, and we’re grateful for your patience while we work through this carefully. If you have additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly.

This statement confirms several key facts:

• All affected PayPal purchases will be fully refunded.
• No payment information is stored by Hypergryph; all processing is handled by PayPal directly.
• The issue only impacted PayPal transactions on certain platforms.
• PayPal payments were disabled within two hours of launch.
• PayPal payments will stay offline until Hypergryph and its partners determine the full root cause of the bug.

Player impact and ongoing investigation

The incident highlights significant risks in payment handling for live service games, particularly during global launches. According to user reports, losses reached into the thousands for some, and the requirement for real-world ID verification via PayPal flagged these events as potentially fraudulent at the payment gateway level. Many affected players are seeking a rapid resolution and direct support from Hypergryph.

The developer is currently requesting that impacted users contact them directly by email, providing both their server and account ID for expedited processing. The vulnerability appears restricted to a “small number of purchases” but has resulted in considerable concern among the community, evidenced by the volume and urgency of social media posts and forum threads since launch.

Hypergryph has not confirmed whether any personally identifying information was accessed or exposed outside the normal PayPal process. Their repeated assurance that no payment data is stored on their systems aims to curb fears of a larger breach, though technical details remain undisclosed.

At the time of reporting, PayPal payments remain disabled for Arknights: Endfield, with Hypergryph and payment partners engaged in ongoing root cause analysis. Refund processing and user support are ongoing, with the company promising not to reinstate PayPal purchases until the issue is fully and transparently resolved.

Key facts summary:

• Incident date: 22 January 2026 (hours after launch)
• Cause: Unspecified bug affecting PayPal transactions and account links
• Scope: “Small number of purchases” and certain platforms, according to Hypergryph
• User impact: Multiple unauthorised large withdrawals, loss of access, and PayPal verification prompts
• Action taken: PayPal payments suspended within two hours, refunds initiated, root cause under investigation
• Resolution timeline: Four hours for refunds (as per Hypergryph statement)

This issue may directly impact Arknights: Endfield’s launch momentum and consumer trust in its payment integrations. Both Hypergryph and players continue to monitor the situation as the investigation and refunds proceed.