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Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99View PC Gaming Show Summer Game Fest Dune: Awakening Elden Ring: Nightreign Recommended reading Nintendo is trying to force Discord to give up the identity of the person behind last year's massive Pokémon leak Third Person Shooter MindsEye co-CEO claims there's a 'concerted effort' to trash the game ahead of its release: 'I do KNOW that there are bot farms posting negative comments and dislikes' 'There is no lawsuit' against Schedule I: As negative Steam reviews pile up, Drug Dealer Simulator publisher makes a public plea for peace Gaming Industry DayZ creator says Unity is accusing his studio of violating its software license based on the email addresses of two people who never worked there: 'This raises some serious questions about how Unity is scraping this data' Drug Dealer Simulator is getting review bombed for suing Schedule I, even though it hasn't actually sued Schedule I yet Ubisoft's defense against The Crew lawsuit doubles down on a point we've heard many times before: You don't actually own your games Bungie's attempt to dismiss the Destiny 2 copyright case using YouTube videos describing 'vaulted' elements of the game has been shut down by a judge who is not going to sit through a 10-hour lore explainer Honkai: Star Rail Honkai: Star Rail publisher sues player for streaming a new character on Discord before its official release Andy Chalk 16 June 2025 Cognosphere says the pre-release gameplay wasn't just a Discord stream, it was a copyright violation. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: miHoYo) Chinese game company Cognosphere is known for four things: Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero, and its aggressive pursuit of anyone who doesn't toe the line on its announcement and release schedules. In the latest example of how much it really, really does not like leakers, the company is now suing a guy who streamed Honkai: Star Rail gameplay on Discord that included a look at a new character who hadn't been released to the public. The lawsuit, first reported by Game File, takes pains to note the importance of Cognosphere's update and release schedules. "Preserving a single release date and the timing for Plaintiff's marketing campaign is extremely important, because many consumers have waited months to access and play the updated game, and are excited to be among the first to play the game in the latest official version," the complaint states. "If the content in the update is made available to some consumers before the commencement of Plaintiff’s marketing campaign and/or the release date, then consumers who have waited may have the game 'spoiled' for them. Related Articles Nintendo is trying to force Discord to give up the identity of the person behind last year's massive Pokémon leak MindsEye co-CEO claims there's a 'concerted effort' to trash the game ahead of its release: 'I do KNOW that there are bot farms posting negative comments and dislikes' 'There is no lawsuit' against Schedule I: As negative Steam reviews pile up, Drug Dealer Simulator publisher makes a public plea for peace "Additionally, when people who have unfairly or unlawfully obtained a game update before its release date post videos, images, or engage in online chatter about their experience with the game, this dampens the excitement and anticipation that many players feel when they obtain the update legitimately upon its official release, which further harms the user experience that the Plaintiff strives to protect." That may be a little overwrought, but the actual legal complaint here isn't "spoilers!" but the more prosaic, courtroom-friendly copyright infringement: That defendant Alfredo Lopez, using the handle !Exciter98, violated Cognosphere's "exclusive rights of reproduction, public display, adaptation, and/or public performance under the Copyright Act" by blasting the unreleased material—specifically the character Castorice, who had already been revealed at the 2024 Game Awards—all over Discord without permission or authorization. The Game Awards Show Video: "The Worlds You've Never Been" | Honkai: Star Rail - YouTube The lawsuit doesn't say anything about how Lopez got hold of the leaked material in the first place—whether he was a tester, a hacker, someone supplied it to him, or something else—but that doesn't seem especially relevant anyway: By going after individual streamers with copyright infringement suits, Cognosphere is effectively saying that it may not be able to stop leaks, but it can make life miserable for anyone who shares them. And it's seemingly not shy about doing so: Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, director of research and insights at Niko Partners, said on X that Cognosphere (referred to by its better-known name MiHoYo) "has initiated over 500 legal cases," including some in China "that have led to certain game content leaks being labelled as a violation of trade secrets." The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. (Image credit: Daniel Ahmad (Twitter)) Cognosphere is seeking "actual damages and Defendant's profits for copyright infringement," but perhaps because Lopez presumably didn't make any money with his Discord stream, is also asking for an alternative, at its discretion, of maximum statutory damages of $150,000. Best cozy games: Relaxed gaming Best anime games: Animation-inspired Best JRPGs: Classics and beyond Best cyberpunk games: Techno futures Best gacha games: Freemium fanatics Social Links Navigation US News Lead Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill. 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Nintendo is trying to force Discord to give up the identity of the person behind last year's massive Pokémon leak MindsEye co-CEO claims there's a 'concerted effort' to trash the game ahead of its release: 'I do KNOW that there are bot farms posting negative comments and dislikes' 'There is no lawsuit' against Schedule I: As negative Steam reviews pile up, Drug Dealer Simulator publisher makes a public plea for peace DayZ creator says Unity is accusing his studio of violating its software license based on the email addresses of two people who never worked there: 'This raises some serious questions about how Unity is scraping this data' Drug Dealer Simulator is getting review bombed for suing Schedule I, even though it hasn't actually sued Schedule I yet Ubisoft's defense against The Crew lawsuit doubles down on a point we've heard many times before: You don't actually own your games Latest in Games Funcom says its working on 'a bunch of changes' for Dune: Awakening PvP after player calls out the survival MMO's 'biggest issue' Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 studio teases possible 'new content' and more language support: 'It's very much on our radar' Pentiment and Fallout: New Vegas designer Josh Sawyer isn't usually a fan of RPG romances, but thinks Cyberpunk 2077 nailed it: 'If I were gonna base romances on anything, I'd probably do something like that' Prince of Persia social media botch forces Ubisoft to promise once again that it's still working on The Sands of Time He was devastated when his favorite Facebook game shut down, but at 10 years old, what could he do? 8 years later, he's got the rights, the original code, and is about to relaunch Dungeon Rampage on Steam After all the anger and noise, Borderlands 4 isn't $80 anyway but there's a whopping expensive deluxe edition if you want to spend even more money on it Latest in News Funcom says its working on 'a bunch of changes' for Dune: Awakening PvP after player calls out the survival MMO's 'biggest issue' Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 studio teases possible 'new content' and more language support: 'It's very much on our radar' Prince of Persia social media botch forces Ubisoft to promise once again that it's still working on The Sands of Time After all the anger and noise, Borderlands 4 isn't $80 anyway but there's a whopping expensive deluxe edition if you want to spend even more money on it Nexus Mods founder steps back after 24 years and hands over ownership: 'The strain of being responsible for the behemoth I created has taken its toll' 'Do it fast, do it dirty': The Witcher 4's narrative director discusses the studio's philosophy and what made The Witcher 3 so great HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES LATEST GAME REVIEWS Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I'd want in my next gaming laptop Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most Best 14-inch gaming laptop in 2025: The top compact gaming laptops I've held in these hands Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I've tested PowerColor Alphyn AM10 Wireless Gaming Mouse review Couchmaster Cycon3 review ASRock Phantom Gaming B860I Lightning Wi-Fi review ASRock B860 LiveMixer Wi-Fi review ASRock B860 Steel Legend Wi-Fi review PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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