After a partial URL was mistakenly shown in a screenshot, resourceful users were able to guess the remaining portion of the address and then piggy back onto a torrent, which contained a whopping 48GB’s of unreleased Star Citizen assets. The hijacked content was then assembled by players with a sound knowledge of CryEngine, and quickly uploaded to YouTube and other sites for the world to see.
The folks over at Cloud Imperium Games took the leak in stride, releasing a prompt response:
Development will continue : ) We’ll take some time to look at security and social media policy, but it isn’t going to change how much we share or what our goals for Star Citizen are. I don’t think there will be a statement beyond asking that backers please do not share content that spoils elements of Squadron 42 for other players. I’ve asked that the mods keep everything off of our forums, and other communities like Reddit are free to set their own rules.
Indeed, the laidback response for CIG, as well as the nature of the leak, has prompted many to wonder if the leak is nothing more than a clever marketing ploy. Of course, 48GB is a huge amount of data to be leaked for nothing more than a marketing stunt, but still questions remain as to why the devs were using private torrents (which isn’t too uncommon of a practice). Community members have also posed questions about the lax nature of CIG’s security, considering a partial link was shown in a screenshot. Marketing ploy or not, Star Citizen has definitely seen a surge of player interest this past day.
For those hoping to see more of the leaked content, it should be noted that while these assets obviously exist, it can’t be known how the assets will ultimately be used, or if all the assets will even make their way into the final game. It should also be noted that the leaked content could possibly contain story spoilers to Star Citizen’s single-player campaign, Squadron 42. So, seeker be warned, you may find more than you want to see.
Reddit leak info // Leaked content videos (possible spoilers in this channel)
Leaked WIP Bengal