Borderlands 3 publisher confirms sending private investigators after YouTuber over leaks
Borderlands publisher 2K Games has confirmed that it sent private investigators to the home of YouTuber SupMatto as part of an investigation into Borderlands 3 leaks.
Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Borderlands 3 publisher 2K Games, has shed some light on its side of a story that caused the hashtag #BoycottBorderlands3 to trend on Twitter.
The hashtag was created in response to a YouTube video (below) by Borderlands YouTuber and streamer SupMatto. The creator previously leaked a number of details about Borderlands 3, so much so that it caused Take-Two to investigate him.
In the video, SupMatto says he was approached by two private investigators, who arrived at this home unannounced to ask about the Borderlands 3 leaks he'd been posting. The YouTuber explained that he didn't get the unannounced information in any malicious way, but Take-Two believes differently.
The company has issued a statement that it did indeed send private investigators to SupMatto's home, as part of a larger investigation into the source of Borderlands 3 leaks that's been going on for ten months.
One particular incident both parties referenced is the discovery of a Twitch extension, which was accidentally shown off ahead of time thanks to an unlisted video on the official YouTube channel. Said video also included screen names of testers.
"This wasn't found by me, it was also posted on various platforms like Reddit and other social medias, that's how it was brought to my attention. So quite a few of us decided to follow these accounts because, well, simply put, we could," said SupMatto.
Take-Two, however, says some of the information SupMatto shared with their audience was obtained through a Twitch exploit that allowed them access to private test streams, which they used as a source.
"The information he’s sharing about the situation is incomplete, and in some cases untrue," said 2K. "Not only were many of his actions illegal, but they were negatively impacting the experiences of other content creators and our fans in anticipation for the game." Many of these videos have now been deleted.
"Take Two and 2K take the security and confidentiality of trade secrets very seriously. The action we’ve taken is the result of a 10-month investigation and a history of this creator profiting from breaking our policies, leaking confidential information about our product, and infringing our copyrights," it added.
"We will take the necessary actions to defend against leaks and infringement of our intellectual property that not only potentially impact our business and partners, but more importantly may negatively impact the experiences of our fans and customers."
Interestingly, Twitch and Discord were both also investigating SupMatto. Discord actually deleted the YouTuber's private server for "selling, promoting, or distributing cheats, hacks, or cracked accounts." According to IGN, SupMatto shared more leaks through the server for a $5 subscription to his channel.
For now, SupMatto is taking a break from making videos, saying he doesn't know if he'll be returning for Borderlands 3's release in September.