Video Game Leaks Hit Hard Early This Week
The week of May 11 has certainly felt drawn out for developers and publishers, as a wave of highly anticipated games has leaked online ahead of their official release dates. The rapid-fire nature of these leaks has left many gamers wondering if there’s more going on behind the scenes.
Over the weekend, a Reddit user surprised the Lego gaming community by revealing they had a working copy of Lego Batman: Legacy of The Dark Knight, the Arkham-inspired action title set to launch on May 22. This gamer claimed to have pre-ordered a digital version from Walmart, and upon downloading, they were prompted to start playing the game. Naturally, this raised eyebrows since the game wasn’t supposed to be available for another week.
It soon became clear that this wasn’t just a one-off glitch; other pre-order downloads of Legacy of the Dark Knight were also surfacing earlier than expected. In response, moderators on the Lego gaming forum warned users that any spoilers would not be tolerated, and posts that ignored this warning faced copyright notices. Reports indicate that these unauthorized copies of Batman have since been disabled, and the developers have implemented anti-piracy measures for the PC version of the game.
Another significant leak involved Forza Horizon 6, the upcoming open-world racing game set in Japan. According to users on Steam, developer Playground Games accidentally uploaded a version of the game with unencrypted files. This oversight allowed savvy users to quickly share the Microsoft exclusive on piracy sites. In retaliation, the developers threatened to impose hardware bans on anyone who played the game early. It turned out to be no empty threat, as leakers soon shared screenshots claiming they received bans lasting an astonishing 7,973 years.
While this warning likely deterred some players from trying to access the game early, one well-known Forza modder took it as a challenge. That same day, the leaker posted footage on YouTube of themselves playing Forza Horizon 6, despite being banned from the franchise. This gamer, known for a history of Forza-related bans, boldly stated that there was nothing Playground Games could do about it. However, given this public defiance, it might only be a matter of time before the developers take action against them.
The latest title to experience a leak is Subnautica 2, the much-anticipated underwater survival game. Screenshots of the game have begun circulating online, though their source remains uncertain. Unlike the previous two games, the Subnautica leak isn’t happening far ahead of its release, as the game is set to launch on Thursday, May 14.
Despite being available on piracy sites, Subnautica 2 is currently the top-selling game on Steam worldwide. In fact, all Subnautica titles are among the top 15 best-sellers on the platform, with Forza Horizon 6 holding the number two spot.
As these leaks have unfolded over just a few days, some observers are speculating about potential connections between the incidents. Rumors have circulated that Denuvo, a digital rights management (DRM) tool, was cracked for single-player games earlier this year, which has fueled speculation. Some groups sharing the leaked games are known for their anti-DRM stance. While Denuvo has not commented on the situation, there’s currently no evidence linking the leaks to any DRM failures. Notably, Batman: Legacy of The Dark Knight reportedly added Denuvo after its leak.
Regardless of the circumstances, the leaks have done little to dampen the excitement surrounding these games, as evidenced by their strong performance on sales charts. A Forza Horizon 6 modder known as DVS Squad has even managed to bypass a ban that was meant to last multiple lifetimes.
