Epic Games settles with ex-Fortnite leaker

Epic Games reached a settlement with former contractor Hayden Cohen that would bar him from possessing, accessing, using or sharing the company’s confidential or trade-secret Fortnite information. A judge must approve the pact before it takes effect. The agreement also bars Cohen from assisting others in leaking Fortnite material.

Cohen worked as an associate producer and posted under the alias AdiraFNInfo. He signed non-disclosure agreements in September 2025 that restricted discussion of unannounced game content. Epic filed suit in March 2026 after alleging Cohen repeatedly revealed details about upcoming collaborations, characters, cosmetics, release dates and development plans on social platforms and messaging services.

Court filings list multiple alleged disclosures, including early details tied to collaborations such as Minecraft, South Park, Peak, Overwatch, Game of Thrones, Kingdom Hearts and Solo Leveling. Some of those items have not appeared in Fortnite; Kingdom Hearts, for example, has not been added to the game.

The proposed settlement would permanently enjoin Cohen from possessing or sharing Epic’s confidential materials and from helping others leak such information. The filings do not disclose any payment to Cohen. Epic had originally sought monetary damages in the suit and has declined to comment publicly on compensation.

Epic says it revoked Cohen’s access to internal systems and sent a cease-and-desist notice after identifying the leaks, then alleged he continued to violate contractual obligations. The company wrote that the disclosures harmed partner relationships, reduced the impact of planned announcements and required significant effort and expense to investigate. Epic’s spokesperson Natalie Munoz told the court, “we’ve asked the court to approve the stipulated injunction to ensure they cannot publish or share Epic’s confidential information again.”

The judge’s review will determine whether the stipulated injunction is entered and the case is closed. Other prominent leakers in the Fortnite community continue to post scoops, and the settlement applies only to Cohen and the conduct described in the filings.