Shortly beforePokémon Sword and Shieldlaunched, people had gotten hands on the game early and started to pull the inner working apart, sharing photos, videos, andcharacter modelsacross the internet. There were other leaks, specifically surrounding blurry photographs of an unreleased strategy guide. However, Pokémon Company International is getting lawyers on the case to find those who leaked the images of the guide.
The strategy guide was created by Pokémon Company International, andthe lawsuithas been uploaded by Forbes. The suit details how secretive the company is about their products, stating that the guide was under lock and key and kept in a secure area. It was stated that the leaks began on or around July 07, 2025, when pictures of unannounced Pokémon (Gigantamax Machamp) had started to be shared on a Discord channel. Some of these pictures were only available within the collector’s edition of the strategy guide.
The images reached the internet where Pokémon Company International state that the images spread to websites such as Twitter, 4Chan, Reddit, and popular gaming outlets such as Polygon, Dot Esports, and other Nintendo-focused forums and blogs. It’s reported that the company found “over 300 URLs”.
The lawyers from Perkins Coie has stated that the leaks have caused “irreparable injury” to the company and that they’re entitled to any damages. No individuals have been named as of yet, but four Discord users have been identified. One of those users is believed to be the one who supplied the images to the other defendants.
While Pokémon Company International hasn’t been able to identify the people behind the accounts, they’re seeking to get subpoenas on Discord and 4Chan to track down the leakers.
Leaks are becoming more fought against by companies, this being one example, but last month we saw Epic Games making moves to sue the person thatleakedFortnitechapter 2. Last year Epic Gamessued another leakerwho spoiled the comet strike that was to still take place in the game.
