Be wary of the Elden Ring DLC and Tekken 8 leak

By Sean Lawson,

A screenshot is currently making the rounds online which allegedly showcases some of the upcoming titles from Bandai Namco. The titles range from Tekken 8 to some Elden Ring DLC called Barbarians of the Badlands.

Update:
Bandai Namco has finally responded to the recent ransomware attack. Ransomware is malicious software used by cybercriminals to extort money from its victims. Usually, the cybercriminals will threaten to release documents and whatever else they have got their hands on to the public unless a ransom is paid.

Bandai Namco has blocked its servers to prevent any more damage from occuring

E3Bandai Namco confirms ransomware attack

In a statement to VGC Bandai Namco had this to say: “On July 3, 2022, Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. confirmed that it experienced an unauthorized access by third party to the internal systems of several Group companies in Asian regions (excluding Japan). After we confirmed the unauthorized access, we have taken measures such as blocking access to the servers to prevent the damage from spreading.”

Bandai Namco follows up with: “In addition, there is a possibility that customer information related to the Toys and Hobby Business in Asian regions (excluding Japan) was included in the servers and PCs, and we are currently identifying the status about existence of leakage, scope of the damage, and investigating the cause. We will continue to investigate the cause of this incident and will disclose the investigation results as appropriate. We will also work with external organizations to strengthen security throughout the Group and take measures to prevent recurrence."

Before rounding off with an apology: “We offer our sincerest apologies to everyone involved for any complications or concerns caused by this incident.”

Tekken 7 free DLCDebate is still up about the alleged game leak

This update from Bandai Namco comes not long after the 'alleged' leak of a presentation of Bandai Namco games that will be released throughout 2023. A lot of debate and speculation has circulated over the legitimacy of the leak, with the team at TrueTrophies deciding that it was most likely fake. Which some of our lovely commenters pointed out as well. One user even mentioned how the Tekken 8 logo is from a fan-made trailer, putting the nail in the coffin for this leak in our eyes.

What do you guys make of all this? Feel bad for Bandai Namco? Think the leak is fake? Let me know in the comments below!

Original story
A very interesting leak has occurred — if it turns out to be true — involving Bandai Namco. It goes without saying, but take all the information here with a pinch of salt. We've seen this leak starting to find traction, but digging a little deeper reveals that you should be wary despite the hype.

Bandai Namco may have just had its iconic titles like Tekken 8 and Tales of Ascension leaked

elden ring gameplayElden Ring DLC called Barbarians of the Badlands may have leaked

As reported by Twisted Voxel, in a now-deleted tweet from Twitter user hy_plus, a screenshot was shared of an alleged Bandai Namco presentation that featured a variety of staple IPs from the company. The likes of Tekken 8, Digimon Story Cybersleuth 2, and Code Vein 2 were among the titles. The juiciest bit of information; however, comes from the supposed Elden Ring DLC called Barbarians of the Badlands. Take a look at the full list below.

List of 'leaked' games

Q1 FY2023
  • Armoured Core
  • Dragon Ball the Breakers
Q2 FY2023
  • Little Nightmares III
  • Dragonball Z Fighter Super
  • Digimon Story Cybersleuth 2
Q3 FY2023
  • Elden Ring: Barbarians of the Badlands
  • Tales of Ascension
  • Tekken 8
Q4 FY2023
  • Code Vein 2
  • One Punch Man: Fighters Association
  • Dragonball Xenoverse 3
The screenshot can still be found on ResetEra, where users are debating on its legitimacy, and honestly, so are we. As much as this would be an amazing lineup of games — some of which are indeed expected — a few are definitely not on the cards (we are looking at you One Punch Man).

Many things about this leak just don't pass the legitimacy tests. Where and who did this information come from? Sure, we have the Twitter user, but who are they in relation to Bandai Namco? The tweet was deleted by the original owner (thanks Dexerto) because as the user said, "that picture actually spread the unreliable news that was circulating in China, so I deleted it first." Too much missing information raises red flags.


The only thing that helps bring a flicker of legitimacy to this whole story is the fact that Bandai Namco was recently hit by a ransomware attack. There is no information on what the group obtained from its hack, but we can assume game source codes and documents talking about said games would be among the things obtained. The group is allegedly going to be leaking the information it has "soon."

A lot of these titles mentioned make sense to release, such as Tekken 8. We fans have been waiting for over seven years for the sequel to Tekken 7. Then the DLC to FromSoftware's legendary game Elden Ring also has legs to stand on, as it would make sense for the company to capitalise on the game while it is still big and has an active player base. Even so, with fake logos like the one for Tekken, these games and DLC packs gamble on easily foreseeable products for legitimacy.

elden ring overview trailerIf the leak is true, fans are in for a treat

Bandai Namco is yet to respond to any of this malarky that is going on right now. There is no concrete evidence for any of the leaks. So, this is why you should be wary of this rumour despite what you see — an easily guessable lineup, a few too-wild wild cards, an unreliable source, and the fact the image was removed by the original poster. I hope you are still holding on to those pinches of salt I told you about earlier. We do hope some of these games get announced this year, Tekken 8 especially, but only time will tell.

How do you feel about this 'leak?' Would you be excited if it was true? Let me know in the comments below!
Sean Lawson
Written by Sean Lawson
Sean is a Staff Writer with a focus on the geekiest Sony news. He writes stories about unobtainable PlayStation trophies, the best PS Plus games, as well as RPGs and Fighting games. He is also excited for Tekken 8, Dragon Age Dreadwolf, Baldur's Gate 3, and Dragon's Dogma 2 to launch on PS5. Sean’s favourite games include Mass Effect, Tomb Raider, Tekken, and Persona.
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