8 Video Game Leaks That Changed EVERYTHING
1. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was an episodic sequel to Sonic & Knuckles which began its rollout in 2010, but the lead up to its release left fans anything but convinced.
Beyond the sorry state of the Sonic IP at the time, a prototype version of Episode I was leaked onto the Xbox 360's game testing service PartnerNet months before release, causing screenshots and videos to be widely shared online.
The fan response was dire, many criticising the rough physics and levels designed for mobile platforms, feeling that it wasn't worthy of the Sonic 4 moniker.
Sega responded by delaying Episode I by several months to address fan concerns, such as replacing the mobile-exclusive levels on consoles. But while the critical response was ultimately passable, fans largely still hated the game.
The negativity continued into Episode II, which finally came out in 2012 and, while deemed a mild improvement, was still largely panned by players.
The sustained hatred for Sonic 4 from fans ever since that initial leak ultimately led Sega to scrap a planned Episode III.
But this also had an unexpected outcome - developer Christian Whitehead, who was originally offered to work on Episode III, instead went on to develop remasters of the first two Sonic games, leading to him getting the job directing Sonic Mania a few years later.
Sonic Mania became the best-reviewed Sonic game in 15 years and remains a major high-point for the franchise.
And yet we probably wouldn't have had it without this leak kneecapping Sonic 4's reputation right out of the gate, in turn setting Whitehead on a totally different path.