If you paid attention to the release trailers and information drops about Pokemon Sword and Shield, you’ll have noticed that the information presented from the gym leaders, the Pokemon, information about the characters and the region were very…limited. That was a choice made by The Pokemon Company to help deliver some “surprises” to the gamers. That way they didn’t know EVERYTHING about the game and the Pokemon they’d see. That is…until the leakers came around.
A mere two weeks before the games release, leakers from all over the internet started showing off everything from the variations of the Gigantamax Pokemon, to the evolutions to the Galar region starter Pokemon, and then, just info-dumping just about every Pokemon that was in the game. This made many wary of the internet (because some of us DON’T like spoilers and leaks), and made The Pokemon Company furious. So much so that according to Forbes, the lawyers for the company are going to try and find the leakers who made these info dumps and take them to court.
Is this petty? Maybe a little, but game developers have been cracking down on gamers who have been either breaking the rules of the game, or not respecting the wishes of the dev team. The lawyers are saying that major “injury” was caused to the team and to the game because of these leaks, and they’ll prove it in court.
Whether that’s true is a bit up for debate, especially since Pokemon Sword and Shield have sold over 6 million units so far. Still, you can’t blame them for wanting to go after those who ruined their efforts to keep the game a secret for the most part.
For our thoughts on Pokemon Sword and Shield, check out the latest episode of the Nintendo Entertainment Podcast!
