Release integrity is confidence that shipped code, patches, and content updates are the intended versions, unchanged from the approved build. It depends on controls such as signed releases, build verification, hashes, protected CI/CD pipelines, and strict approval for publishing.
It matters because attackers often target the release process instead of the product itself. If they can tamper with a build server, steal signing keys, or compromise an update channel, they may deliver malware, backdoors, or fraudulent patches to many users at once. Defenders protect release integrity with least-privilege access, isolated build environments, reproducible builds, artifact signing, and verification at install or update time. In large game and software platforms, this helps ensure that players receive the real update, not a modified one.