After years of Genshin Impact leaks being an open secret on the internet, HoYoVerse will take firm legal action against Ubatcha, one of the game’s most popular leakers. TorrentFreak reported a court ordered Discord to hand over Ubatcha’s personal details, as Discord is one of the biggest platforms for sharing leaks to a wide audience. [Thanks, TorrentFreak!]
Technically speaking, Ubatcha’s Discord server and subreddit with Genshin Impact information received DMCA takedown notices since July 2022. However, leaks continued to spread around the internet. Information on both Childe and Yoimiya appearing in the Version 3.2 photography event appeared on Twitter in September 2022. Version 3.2 of Genshin Impact launched in November 2022, more than two months after the leaks. Wanderer will launch in December 2022 as part of Version 3.3. However, information on his kit, animations, and ascension materials started appearing in early November 2022.
In late November 2022, Cognosphere, which is the parent company of HoYoVerse, requested that the court issue a subpoena to Discord. Discord must hand over information that it can use to identify Ubatcha, such as their address, name, or telephone number. On November 29, 2022, Cognosphere also requested that Discord take down all copyrighted content. Particular proof included the “Moss” Seelie showcase, which appeared as a leak in July 2022.
It is unknown if HoYoVerse’s efforts will make a lasting impact on the Genshin Impact community. Fans seek out leaks for various reasons. They may want to know who to save for in advance or pre-farm materials. On HoYoVerse’s end, it may not want fans to get their hopes up for content still in development. Ayaka, for example, is a character who changed between beta tests and the final product. Leakers are also breaking legal contracts that Cognosphere requires testers to sign.
Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.
Published: Dec 5, 2022 06:00 am