Genshin Impact leakers jailed in landmark criminal case in China

In a landmark criminal case in China, two individuals have been sentenced to jail for leaking unreleased gameplay footage from the hit action role-playing game Genshin Impact. This ruling is the first of its kind against video game leaks following updated legal guidelines in the country.

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Both surpassed the criminal prosecution thresholds stipulated in the judicial interpretation, thus meeting the conditions for criminal charges.

The duo, identified by their surnames Su and Wu, were found guilty of copyright infringement after repeatedly uploading unauthorized videos of unreleased gameplay onto the Chinese online video-sharing platform BiliBili. According to miHoYo, the game's developer, Su's leaked videos garnered over 600,000 views, while Wu's exceeded 300,000. The exact method by which they accessed the unreleased footage remains unknown.

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The case marks the first criminal prosecution of game leaks under the new judicial interpretation issued by China’s Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate.

The sentences, one year and two months in jail for Su and one year for Wu, were delivered on April 24. miHoYo stated that this case represents the first criminal prosecution of game leaks under new judicial interpretations issued by China's Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate. Previously, criminal cases for game leaks required illegal proceeds exceeding 50,000 yuan (approximately US$7,408). However, the new rules allow for criminal investigation if infringed content receives over 100,000 views or exceeds 10,000 downloads.

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Large-scale premature leaks not only rob players of the anticipation for new content but also severely disrupt miHoYo's normal version release schedule and commercial arrangements.

miHoYo, the Shanghai-based developer known for Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero, emphasized that such large-scale premature leaks disrupt their release schedules and commercial arrangements. They also stated that "every frame of unreleased game content represents the design and craftsmanship of the development team, as well as the anticipation that every player holds for new updates."

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Every frame of unreleased game content represents the design and craftsmanship of the development team, as well as the anticipation that every player holds for new updates.