A prominent Genshin Impact leaker must have their identity exposed, according to a California court. Ubatcha, who has a large community of people following them and waiting for Genshin Impact leaks on Discord, is facing legal action, and Discord has been told it must reveal their identity to the court.
Genshin Impact developer Hoyoverse has a history of animosity towards leakers for the game, targeting prominent leak sites and reportedly hitting beta testers with hefty fines for leaking content. Now, it looks like it's Ubatcha's turn, as Genshin publisher Cognosphere has filed a DMCA with a California law firm, requesting that Discord "identify alleged infringers at issue" (i.e. Ubatcha).
Per Torrent Freak, the subpoena issued to Discord by the LA law firm points specifically to Ubatcha's Discord channel, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, on which the leaker frequently posts Genshin Impact leaks. According to the subpoena, content posted on this channel "infringes Cognosphere's exclusive rights under copyright law".
Ubatcha's Twitter account appears to have had all of its tweets removed, but the leaker has revealed recently that Discord issued a warning to their server regarding Genshin Impact leaks. The subpoena specifically names a video uploaded by Ubatcha regarding the Genshin Impact 3.0 beta, showing that it pertains to content released some months ago.
Still, since Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has an entire channel devoted to Genshin leaks, it really could have been anything posted to that channel that drew the ire of Cognosphere and its lawyers. On that note, though, perhaps it's better to say Wangsheng Funeral Parlor "had" an entire channel devoted to leaks, because the whole server has since been shut down.
It's not really clear what happens next. Likely, Discord isn't going to want to fight a battle about leaks like this in court, so Ubatcha's details will almost certainly be handed over to Cognosphere. Following that, it depends what Cognosphere decides to do. We know, though, that Hoyoverse and its associated companies tend to have a pretty dim view of leakers, so expect Ubatcha to be hit with the full force of whatever Cognosphere has at its disposal. Discord will have to reveal Ubatcha's name, their address, and any email addresses associated with their Genshin Impact leak activity if it complies, which it almost certainly will.
The world of Genshin Impact is not all doom and gloom right now, though. From leaks, we turn to unreleased art, as the game's first official art exhibition has been announced for January 3rd. It's taking place in Paris at the Galerie Joseph, and will run for a week, showcasing unreleased Genshin Impact art and giving you a look at the processes behind the game's creation. As a multimedia exhibition, you'll also be able to enjoy concert videos and fan artwork, so it's a must-see if you're a Genshin Impact lover.
If you just want a little more from the game itself, Hoyoverse has also announced a web event that's intended to tie into Genshin Impact 3.3's new trading card minigame Genius Invokation. The web event offers the chance to get Primogems and other rewards, and it's a fun little spin on the card game, so it's worth taking a look at.
