In what can only be described as a stupid joke (or evil genius if you’re a die hard PUBGer) some cyber-twats out in cyberspace have created a Frankensteins monster of a ransomware – play PUBG to get your files back, bitch.

For the dummies out there, ransomware is a type of virus that forces the infected host to fulfil a specific task in order to unlock their now inaccessible files. Failure to do so would condemn the poor user to a tearful reformatting and or expensive recovery of all their favourite cat videos.

But before you ball your eyes out all over your rainbow LED brown-switch mechanical keyboard, fear not! As this particular ransomware is rather kind, only requiring you to play PUBG for 3 seconds or, if you don’t own the game, simply enter a code that the prompt provides to restore your system fully.

So what was the point you ask? Well perhaps Player Unknown himself is behind this – as the war for supremacy in the survival shooter category between PUBG and its crappy coloured knock off Fortnite (sorry, it’s true) heats up to magma-like proportions, this could well be the latest stealth marketing strategy to hit the games market.

Who knows, but what I do know is that no tedious method such as is should be required to get someone playing PUBG. I mean, honestly, it’s the most refreshing PC game out there right now.