Guilty Gear Developer Arc System Works Addresses Data Leak — Here’s What We Know So Far, Including Potential Info About Nintendo Switch 2 Carts

Last Saturday, Dexerto broke the communicative that Japanese developer Arc System Works was hacked, with information allegedly being leaked astir Switch 2 crippled formats, Guilty Gear Strive, and the company’s in-development games.

On May 14, Arc System Works addressed the rumored leaks successful a connection connected its authoritative website. In the statement, the institution confirmed that specified a information breach had taken place, but reassured users that “as of May 12, we person not confirmed the leak of immoderate idiosyncratic idiosyncratic accusation oregon subordinate relationship accusation owed to the unauthorized access.”

The institution is presently moving with extracurricular experts to analyse and corroborate the origin of the breach and find precisely what information was leaked. It besides urged radical not to entree the leaked information owed to malware corruption risks. However, Arc System Works did not remark connected the contented of the leak.

According to Dexerto, the leak contained a Guilty Gear Strive physique that features each the remaining Season 4 characters, caller moves, and what is believed to beryllium the afloat Season 5 quality line-up.

Also seemingly included successful the leak, arsenic reported by Nintendo Everything, was accusation astir the 3 formats disposable for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console: integer download only, a Game Key-Card, and a 64 GB carnal crippled cartridge containing the afloat game.

Codenamed “Potion” successful the leak, the Game Key-Card is simply a benignant of digital/physical hybrid, a cartridge that comes successful a carnal box, nevertheless it requires the idiosyncratic to download the crippled to play. So far, the Game Key-Card way seems a communal prime among third-party crippled developers with games planned for the Switch 2. With 2 of these formats relying connected downloads, this rapidly raised concerns among video crippled preservationists arsenic to however easy playable and accessible Switch 2 games volition beryllium erstwhile the console reaches the extremity of its lifecycle.

Almost each carnal third-party Nintendo Switch 2 games revealed truthful acold are Game-Key Cards. As pointed retired by Daniel Ahmad, Director of Research & Insights astatine Niko Partners, this absorption connected Game-Key Cards whitethorn enactment utmost unit connected the eShop astir the Switch 2’s motorboat successful June arsenic fans unreserved to download their games.

“Game cards are importantly much costly than discs (+ increases with each GB),” Ahmad added, explaining the reasoning for publishers to spell down the cheaper Game-Key Card way arsenic opposed to the 64 GB carnal crippled cartridge option.

“It takes clip to ramp up accumulation of aggregate retention capableness crippled cards. Digital games / little capableness cards connection higher margins for publishers. Digital is the bulk of sales.”

Talking of Switch 2, the leaks besides seemingly contained accusation astir a caller crippled that Arc System Works is processing for Nintendo’s upcoming console. Revealed by XOXLEAK connected X, the project, Codename Watari, was slated for a tentative November 25 release.

Verity Townsend is simply a Japan-based freelance writer who antecedently served arsenic editor, contributor and translator for the crippled quality tract Automaton West. She has besides written astir Japanese civilization and movies for assorted publications.