2022 has been particularly tough for gaming media. Almost every preview we have attended in order to get content ready for a reveal has been leaked in some way or another and one man, in particular, has been behind these leaks. Previously under the disguise of a Twitter user called “The Real Insider”, Dan Allen has come out as the man behind most of this year’s gaming leaks. Specifically, responsible for many Ubisoft leaks.
I have personal experiences with these leaks myself. I attended almost every media preview that Dan Allen attended and sadly, witnessed these leaks happen straight after the media preview wrapped up. One specific event was around the Rainbow Six Siege Mobile announcement where a very few select media got to see the game before the global embargoed announcement the week after.
However, right after the media event wrapped by (within 20 minutes), Tom Henderson posted a full article claiming his source knew about the game and detailed everything we watched in the reveal. This source was Dan Allen.
The YouTuber has now come out in public to address his conscious. Allen confirmed in a video that he ran the Twitter account The Real Insider, attended multiple media events and previews, and leaked them. He also confirmed that he broke NDAs in the process which will now likely result in a lawsuit or two.
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Dan was also responsible for the recent Assassin’s Creed leak where he detailed multiple projects which were showcased at the event. He also claims that a handful of his so-called “leaks” were made up and fake.
So why did Allen do this? Well, in the video he claims that everything he does is for the “buzz” and for the “clout”. He says that he is addicted to the thrill of the experience. Allen downplayed dozens of NDAs and agreements when he leaked this content and Ubisoft especially suffered due to these leaks.
After apologising for the leaks, the YouTuber says he is now going to take some time off to focus on his personal life. He says that he might face legal consequences for his actions and has also lost personal and business friends in the industry due to the leak. He also had to delete his Twitter account due to the barrage of hate he’s received since the outing.
Ubisoft commented on the news in a statement to PC Gamer. The company was specifically targeted by Allen and his leaks. The YouTuber leaked almost every announcement the company had planned this year almost immediately after the media events took place.
“We regularly provide access and information on our games under NDA to trusted partners. When that trust is compromised, or information is leaked by an individual, it’s not only damaging and demoralizing to our teams, but it takes away from an exciting reveal moment and experience for our players. While we won’t speak on an individual case, we do take these matters seriously and will manage accordingly.”
