Summary
The individual behind the enormous Game Freak hack — of which information is still spilling out from — claims to have a playable build of the upcomingPokemon Legends: Z-A.
They allege to have played through an internal PC build from start to finish, but that they have no plans to share the game online.
Earlier leaks from the same hack revealed thatLegends: Z-A was intended to launch this year, but it’s now slated for 2025.
InGame Freak’s statement addressing the leaks, it revealed that the hacker gained “unauthorised access to [its] servers” way back in August, so they’ve certainly had time to play through Legends: Z-A.
Having played the game, they revealed that Stunfisk makes an appearance, the shiny sound fromLegends: Arceusis back, and it’s “really enjoyable” despite the lag. But that’s all they’re willing to share right now, which is probably for the best.
GTA 6, Wolverine, And Half-Life 2: Leaks Of This Magnitude Aren’t A Great Idea
Hacking into a company like Game Freak and catching the ire of Nintendo is one thing, but leaking builds of an upcoming game? Gary Bowser served 14 months of a 40 month prison sentence andnow owes $14 million to Nintendo for the crime of piracy. Imagine if Bowser had leaked an upcoming blockbuster in a franchise as big asPokemon.
The last two years have seen a surprising number of historical gaming leaks, such asGTA 6. Early footage of a playable build was shared online, whichlanded the hacker an indefinite stay in hospital prisonuntil he is “no longer a danger”.
At the end of 2023, ransomware group Rhysida hacked into Insomniac and dumped over a terabyte of data online,including a playable PC build of Wolverine. It has yet to be caught, but considering the enormity of the leak and similar convictions in the past, they’ll get far more than a slap on the wrist if found out. Nonetheless, its spree continues, as Rhysida was blamed for an attack on Seattle Airport just last month (as reported byPC Mag).
And of course, one of the most infamous cases in gaming history is theHalf-Life 2beta leak. German programmer Axel Gembe hacked into Valve’s network in 2002 and uncovered a gold mine of in-developemnt information. Half-Life 2 later leaked online, along with the Source engine source code, but there was “no evidence to suggest that Gembe had been responsible” (as reported byArs Tcehnica). Regardless, after Gembe turned himself in hoping to get a job at Valve, he was arrested and later sentenced to two years' probation for “causing damages in excess of $250 million”.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is an ambitious new entry to the Pokemon video game series, releasing simultaneously worldwide in 2025. A new adventure awaits within Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokemon.
