Cognosphere, the developer of Honkai: Star Rail, has launched a lawsuit against a player who streamed gameplay that exhibited an unreleased character, claiming it constituted a copyright infringement. The suit articulates that sharing unreleased content like this disrupts marketing plans and could spoil the experience for legitimate users awaiting the official release.

The player, identified as Alfredo Lopez (known online as !Exciter98), allegedly broadcasted the gameplay on Discord, which has led to serious legal repercussions for him. Cognosphere’s complaint emphasizes how important it is to maintain the integrity of marketing strategies, particularly as gamers eagerly anticipate new updates. The lawsuit argues that making content available prior to its intended launch undermines consumer excitement and adversely affects the gaming experience.

Cognosphere seeks damages not only for financial loss but also to discourage others from leaking information about their games. Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad notes that Cognosphere, also recognized as MiHoYo, has initiated over 500 legal actions against copyright infringements in the gaming sector.

This case raises questions about how companies handle leaked content while balancing consumer anticipation against copyright laws.