In August 2014, photos and videos of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS were leaked online, demonstrating evidence of unannounced fighters.
The leaks were seemingly confirmed following a copyright strike from Nintendo of America before being proven irrefutably real upon the game’s eventual release later that year. Since then, the origins of the leaks have remained shrouded in mystery, but thanks to some diligent digging from Did You Know Gaming’s Liam Robertson, we now have a better idea of what happened.
According to Robertson, the leaked footage was captured by an employee of Nintendo of America for analysis by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). The footage didn’t come from the ESRB itself thanks to the stringent security measure taken by the firm, but rather by the NoA employee’s child.
The details of how the child gained access to the footage remain unclear, but a former NoA staff member believes that Nintendo’s intranet service may have been accessed by the individual using a device belonging to their parent. Although the original leaker had then intended to keep the photos and footage within an exclusive tight-knit of online friends, word spread and it eventually wound up being posted to the imageboard website 4Chan.
Naturally, Nintendo of America was able to trace the leak back to its origins, and the employee was promptly fired. Yikes.
Check out the video above for more details on the Smash Bros. leak along with a bunch of other titles.
