Leaks are a part of today’s world and while they seem to happen more frequently than ever it’s rare, if not unheard of, for a publisher to actually name those responsible explicitly. Nintendo and The Pokemon Company released a joint statement to the media in Europe directly identifying the website with whom the responsible reviewer who leaking unreleased information about Pokémon Sword and Shield was associated.
“In early November, Nintendo identified a number of photographs taken from game play that revealed multiple new and unannounced Pokémon from Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. These photographs had been posted online and Nintendo, together with The Pokémon Company, quickly identified the person responsible for these leaks, and took immediate action.These Pokemon were leaked by a reviewer for the Portuguese website FNintendo, who had received an early copy of the game for review purposes. Both he and FNintendo failed to handle confidential material, resulting in a clear breach of the confidentiality agreement between Nintendo and the media outlet. As a result, Nintendo will no longer work with FNintendo. Nintendo will always protect its intellectual property and brands. Leaks hurt not just Nintendo, but the thousands of employees who work hard to bring games to market, and the millions of fans around the world who look forward to news and surprises. To surprise and delight players through new experiences is a shared passion for Nintendo and The Pokemon Company. We will pursue all avenues to preserve surprises for players of future Pokemon titles”.
In order to receive early review codes, outlets have to sign non-disclosure agreements, which essentially state what you can and can’t say and when you’re allowed to talk about a game. Although this is a very public crack down, Nintendo had legal rights to do so by the reviewer breaking the NDA. For those whom unwantingly saw the leaks, justice has been finally served. Despite the leaks the games have gone on to sell over sixteen million copies worldwide.
You can play Pokémon Sword and Shield right now exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
Shoutout to Vooks.
When Eleanore isn’t trying to figure out how the Earth works she’s trying to pay off her loan in Animal Crossing, complete her Pokedex or finishing one more RPG or platformer. She is a lover of great characters, cute or creative art styles and awesome game soundtracks.
