Leaking content early for internet attention can be extremely costly, and this case proves it. A Chinese court issued a final ruling in a lawsuit against a former Genshin Impact tester, who must pay developer miHoYo $70,000 for violating a confidentiality agreement and leaking private game material.

The legal dispute began after a massive leak of content from version 4.4 of the game, including confidential images of characters, items, and new events. During an in-person private test, the individual, identified only by last name Jin, took photos of the material with their phone, ignoring the signed contract that explicitly prohibited keeping, copying, or spreading any information.

The images were later sent to an administrator of a foreign Telegram channel called Chalice_Leaks, from where the files spread across the internet before the channel was permanently shut down. After an initial ruling in favor of the company, the defendant appealed the verdict, but the appellate court upheld the original decision, confirming the leaked information constituted improperly obtained trade secrets.

The most unusual aspect of the case is that chat logs presented during the trial showed Jin was aware of the consequences of his actions, explicitly mentioning the $70,000 penalty set in the confidentiality contract. While the financial penalty stands for the leaker, authorities continue legal proceedings against the channel administrator who disseminated the material.

Genshin Impact is a successful open-world action RPG developed by miHoYo, originally released in September 2020. Available on mobile, console, and PC, the game is one of the industry’s most profitable titles thanks to its constant content updates, exploration system, and an extensive roster of magical characters.

Do you think such financial penalties will stop game leaks?