Nintendo cuts ties with the publication that leaked Pokemon Sword and Shield evolutions
If you cast your mind back to when Pokemon Sword and Shield only had a few weeks before release, you’ll most likely remember that a series of leaks started to appear on the internet. It was chaos, with fans having a meltdown while the rest of us sat there and watched it unfold.
Many months later and Nintendo, after much sleuthing, has managed to track down the offender of those leaks. And, surprisingly. have named them. Which while is justified, is uncommon when it comes to publishers and companies blacklisting publications.
Thanks to Eurogamer, we know that the statement reads as follows:
“In early November, Nintendo identified a number of photographs taken from gameplay 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 Pokémon 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 Pokémon Company. We will pursue all avenues to preserve surprises for players of future Pokémon titles.”
We all knew that Nintendo was protective of their stuff, but it goes to show that they are willing to name and shame publications when it comes to bigger licenses like Pokemon.
As for FNintendo, they too have released a statement. They admitted that they were the ones who broke the embargo for Pokemon Sword and Shield, and thus breached the trust that Nintendo had given them. They have cut ties with the reviewer who leaked those images, but unfortunately, it does seem to be too little, too late.
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