HoYoverse Sues Honkai Star Rail Player $150,000 for Leaking Unreleased Character

Credit: Castorice in Honkai Star Rail

HoYoverse, the developer behind popular titles like Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero, has filed a lawsuit against a Honkai: Star Rail player for leaking unreleased content, demanding $150,000 in damages.

The player in question, Alfredo Lopez, allegedly shared unreleased gameplay footage featuring the character Castorice in a private Discord server with over 12,000 members.

This leak occurred ahead of the character’s official debut in version 3.2 of the game. While it’s unclear how Lopez accessed the character early, HoYoverse is not taking the breach lightly.

According to Game File, the company has accused Lopez of obtaining and distributing proprietary game data before its public release, violating its terms and impacting the in-game experience for other players. HoYoverse stated that leaks like this "dampen the excitement and anticipation" for those who wait for official updates, disrupting the intended player experience.

This isn’t the first time HoYoverse has taken strong action against leakers. In 2024, the studio successfully pressured social platform X (formerly Twitter) to provide identifying information — including names, emails, phone numbers, and IP addresses — of several well-known leakers. Following that legal push, many accounts went offline, seemingly to avoid facing lawsuits.

Beyond just leaks, HoYoverse also goes after cheaters with equal intensity. The company has made it clear that anyone using third-party tools or plug-ins to gain an unfair edge in their games could face legal consequences.

As industry analyst Daniel Ahmad pointed out on X, HoYoverse has launched over 500 legal actions so far, with some resulting in landmark rulings in China that classify certain game leaks as violations of trade secrets. That’s a big deal, as it sets a precedent not only for HoYoverse but potentially for the wider gaming industry.