FitGirl Repacks is a website distributing pirated video games. FitGirl Repacks is known for "repacking" games – compressing them significantly so they can be downloaded and shared more efficiently.[2][3] TorrentFreak listed FitGirl Repacks at sixth in 2021[4] and at ninth in 2020's Top 10 Most Popular Torrent Sites lists.[5]
 | |
Type of site | Magnet links provider, peer-to-peer |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 6, 2016 |
| Country of origin | Latvia |
| Revenue | Donations |
| URL | fitgirl-repacks |
FitGirl, the creator of the site, does not crack games; instead, she uses existing game installers or pirated game files like releases from the warez scene and repacks them to a significantly smaller download size. The repacked games, usually limited to Microsoft Windows, are distributed using file hosting services and BitTorrent. They are generally accompanied during installation by the song Tsuki Sayu Yoru by Hiromitsu Agatsuma.[6]
The mascot of FitGirl Repacks is the French actress Audrey Tautou as she appears in the 2001 movie Amélie, a French romantic comedy directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.[7]
History
editIn 2012, FitGirl started compressing game files for personal use. After realizing that public repacks on pirating sites were smaller than her initial repacks, she decided to learn how to optimise her own compression. When her repacks became more optimised than the ones already available, she decided to start sharing them. The first one she shared was a repack of Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions on Russian trackers on July 6, 2016. Her repacks grew in popularity; in 2020 TorrentFreak described her as "the best-known releaser on the internet".[2][7]
In a 2016 interview FitGirl stated that she was in her 20s and worked in computers. She stated that she was "female and kinda proud of it", as the only female repacker in the scene at the time. She was born in Russia, but is based in Latvia.[3][8]
References
edit- ^ Maxwell, Andy (9 June 2020). "Google Promotes Pirate Videogame Repacker 'FitGirl' to 'Musical Artist' Status". TorrentFreak. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
Despite the claims that Fitgirlrepacks.co is the "ONLY official site for FitGirl Repacks", this site is far from official. As per the warning on the real FitGirl site, this is a fake, "made to infect you with malware, show you tons of ads and get your money as donations." The claim that the domain is a malware trap appears to be supported by anti-malware software MalwareBytes, which blocks the platform while warning of 'trojan'. The big question is why this domain (and the several others that appear following a basic 'FitGirl' search) are promoted to the top spots by Google.
Note: Maxwell embedded a hyperlink to https://fitgirl-repacks.site Archived 2021-03-23 at the Wayback Machine in the underlined phrase "real FitGirl site" - ^ a b Van der Sar, Ernesto (5 July 2020). "Meet FitGirl, The Repack 'Queen' Of Pirated Games". TorrentFreak. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ a b Klepek, Patrick (25 March 2016). "The People Who Upload Torrents". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
- ^ Van der Sar, Ernesto (3 June 2021). "10 Most Popular Torrent Sites of 2021". TorrentFreak. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ Van der Sar, Ernesto (5 April 2020). "Top 10 Most Popular Torrent Sites of 2020". TorrentFreak. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ "Google Promotes Pirate Videogame Repacker 'FitGirl' to 'Musical Artist' Status * TorrentFreak".
- ^ a b Maxwell, Andy (24 November 2021). "FitGirl Game Repacker May Be The Most Productive Pirate Online Today". TorrentFreak. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ "FAQ". FitGirl Repacks. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
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