Years Ago He Leaked Cyberpunk 2077 Gadgets, Today He Describes His Story. „Don’t Be a Moron Like Me”
Loss of a good job, 8 months of restriction of freedom, and community service. So much for a Polish game fan who wanted to „just” share a Cyberpunk 2077 leak.
Leaks are an integral part of the gaming industry. Many players want to be "the first" to learn new information about upcoming titles, expansions, or updates.
However, for devs, such leaks can be a huge disaster, severely undermining employee morale. That's why publishers often have no mercy for people who break confidentiality agreements. The Pole, who was the author of a seemingly trivial leak about Cyberpunk 2077, learned the hard way the dangers of endangering game developers and has now given a warning to other players. As he put it: "Don't be a moron, like me."
Postcards from Night City
The hero of this entry began his story by commenting on a thread on Reddit about... layoffs. He mentioned in it how he was "the second time" led out in handcuffs and taken to the station before he received "disciplinary dismissal." He didn't delve into details - at least not initially, but after being urged by intrigued internet users, Siriondel shared his story in a separate thread.
As it turns out, he was the source of the October 2020 leak regarding the content of the boxed edition of Cyberpunk 2077. It was about the map of Night City and postcards, which were included in the physical editions of the game by CD Projekt RED studio. There was nothing surprising about them, but in the excitement preceding the title's premiere, every new piece of information about it aroused significant emotions.
The original post from October 4th was removed from Reddit before it gained more attention. However, another user made a separate thread on the topic, but credited Siriondel as the source of the photo. The more recent "thread" is still accessible, whereas the original "post" has been removed following a copyright infringement complaint from CD Projekt Red.
Mindless enthusiasm
Siriondel's entry was more a result of anticipation for the upcoming premiere than a desire for fame. After being captivated by The Witcher 3, the Pole expected a new game from its developers - as he put it - "to be like a gaming messiah." He took the chance to share information with other players who were eager for any news about Cyberpunk 2077 as an employee of a company that produces paper bonuses.
However, this was a huge mistake. In a nutshell: it was a violation of the terms of the contract between his employer and the company preparing physical media for the game, which threatened the company with "millions of losses" and, as a result, even the closure of the entire company. Siriondel was taken away in handcuffs, his house was searched, and electronic devices were seized.
Shortly after being released from the police station, he had to take part in legal case. Ultimately, it led to a requirement for community service, 8 months of limited freedom, and a notation on the record for three years. His employer also escaped punishment - likely because he dismissed Siriondel.
More details (including the judgment document) can be found in the Reddit post.
How the game ruined a promising career
During the legal case, the Pole joked that he only promoted the game (which allegedly the ordinary employees of CD Projekt RED agreed with). Now, he makes it clear that it wasn't worth it. He lost a promising job at a company where he had built a good reputation.
After the dust had settled, Siriondel had one piece of advice for other players: "Be cautious about what you share on the internet, as video games are a billion-dollar business for their devs and publishers."
However, I learned many valuable life lessons from it, which made me slightly less of a moron than before. And I am a master at scrubbing toilets. My home is always crystal clear.
Players familiar with the topic are aware of the leaks from popular games that make their way to the media. This is how it might end. Now picture what could have happened, for example, if the first developer gameplay from GTA VI had been leaked. The internet watched, discussed, and was excited, but on that day, someone may have destroyed his life forever by uploading just one video. For us it's just a game, but for others it's a billion-dollar business, contracts, agreements, and stock market shares.
