What Really Happened with Cicada 3301?

Cicada 3301 is one of the internet’s most mysterious puzzles. In 2012, an image appeared on an obscure message board, claiming to seek “highly intelligent individuals.” What followed was a global hunt involving cryptography, steganography, literature, philosophy, and even coordinates that led to posters in cities around the world. The puzzle was so advanced it seemed designed for elite codebreakers, and many believed it was recruitment for a secret organization. To this day, no one knows who was behind Cicada 3301—or what happened to those who solved it.