Pokemon Sword And Shield have been released a few days ago worldwide, but information regarding the two games emerged online earlier, as several people managed to get their hands on early copies of the games, revealing the missing Pokemon and other controversial features that some fans disliked. The Pokemon Company considers the leaks as damaging to the company and has so decided to go after the leakers.
The Pokemon Company hired lawyers from Perkins Coie, who confirmed that the leaks caused irreparable injury to the franchise and that the company is entitled to damages in an amount to be proven at trial.
Things are actually pretty far at the moment. Forbes reports that four Discord users have been identified, and forensics experts are at work to find the leakers.
The Pokemon Company, like all other big publishers, invests a lot of resources into their marketing campaign, and leaks can be damaging. They are also becoming more and more serious in dealing with them, so if you manage to get an early copy of the game, it’s better to play it in silence: seeking internet fame may ruin you.
Pokemon Sword And Shield are now available worldwide on Nintendo Switch.