MiHoYo Takes Aggressive Legal Action Overseas: Sues Prominent Wiki Site HomDGCat for Alleged Systematic Leak of Trade Secrets

 Lawsuit Triggers Ripple Effect, Leading to Shutdowns of Multiple Leak Accounts and Similar Websites

Recently, MiHoYo (HoYoverse) filed a notable lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Georgia, targeting the “HomDGCat Wiki” (also known as “Jade Chamber” in some Chinese communities), a fan wiki site well-known in the overseas player community for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, and its operator, Jianuo “HomDGCat” Zhou. This lawsuit is seen by industry insiders as a key step in MiHoYo’s strategy to extend its intellectual property protection efforts from domestic markets to a global scale.

Core of the Lawsuit: Crossing the Line from “Fan Service” to “Commercial Theft”

According to court documents, MiHoYo accuses HomDGCat of systematically obtaining and publicly releasing unreleased content from its two flagship games through “improper and illegal means.” The complaint details the defendant’s operational model: the operator used their position running the wiki to actively contact players participating in closed game tests, encouraging them to violate their Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) by providing download links to beta version game files.

The filing includes a screenshot of a public social media message from HomDGCat, which reads: “If you are in Genshin Impact beta or Honkai: Star Rail beta, and would like to provide files to assist me in my datamining and research, you are welcome to message me at t.me/hom_dgcat. I will inform you of how to get the beta’s download link, which is all I need. I will not know your identity and will not leak the links you give me to anyone else.”

MiHoYo argues that this behavior constitutes not just simple “datamining,” but actively inducing others to breach contracts and circumventing game protection mechanisms through technical means. The complaint alleges that between September 2023 and December 2025, HomDGCat published “thousands, if not tens of thousands,” of pieces of unreleased content, including core information such as character artwork, story text, and skill mechanics.

Legal Claims: The Multifaceted Harm of Leaks

MiHoYo’s complaint lists multiple claims, including copyright infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, circumvention of technological protection measures, and tortious interference with contractual relations. The company argues that the defendant’s actions have caused substantial harm in several ways:

Firstly, leaking unreleased content prematurely “has negatively impacted public interest and enthusiasm [for updates],” undermining the carefully planned marketing and announcement节奏. Some players have admitted that seeing new character skills in advance made them feel “bored and decided to skip pulling,” a phenomenon of “going cold before release” that directly impacts the game’s commercialization cycle.

Secondly, leaks provide competitors with premature insight into MiHoYo’s unannounced development plans and content directions, placing the company at an unfair competitive disadvantage.

Furthermore, even concerning already-released content, the website’s extensive use of copyrighted character art, UI materials, and even its full-text search feature allowing players to access all in-game dialogue are also deemed infringing activities by MiHoYo.

Failed Communication: Multiple Warnings Unheeded

Notably, MiHoYo did not resort to legal action immediately but first attempted to resolve the issue through communication. The company stated that it had previously sent multiple rounds of DMCA takedown notices, cease-and-desist letters, and official legal correspondence to HomDGCat.

On December 29, 2025, HomDGCat responded, but the response was disappointing for MiHoYo. He only agreed to partially comply with some demands, refusing to stop datamining or soliciting files from testers. MiHoYo’s lawyers point out that to this day, “all or nearly all” of the allegedly infringing content remains on the website.

It was only after the lawsuit was formally filed that the HomDGCat website posted a notice on its front page stating: “HomDGCat Wiki will only update live game data in the future.” Whether this belated statement will resolve the lawsuit remains to be seen.

Jurisdictional Strategy: Choosing the Right Legal Venue

Court documents show that MiHoYo chose to file the lawsuit in Georgia because the defendant resides in the state and the acts of datamining and leaking occurred there. The company also specifically noted that users must agree to the terms of service when creating a MiHoYo account, which explicitly prohibits obtaining, copying, and sharing such unauthorized data. If HomDGCat possesses a game account (considered highly likely), it means he was aware of the违规 nature of his actions before undertaking them.

Enforcement Trajectory: From Domestic Pursuit to Global Defense

This is not MiHoYo’s first decisive action against leaks. In recent years, the company has gradually built a comprehensive rights protection system covering civil and criminal measures:

In 2024, MiHoYo sued Genshin Impact cheat creators in Canada, successfully winning $1.5 million in damages.

In June 2025, the company secured a $15,000 default judgment against an individual for livestreaming unreleased content.

In April 2025, in China, the website “Candou.com” was ordered to pay 330,000 RMB in a final appeal for publishing nearly 100 leaked Genshin Impact items. This case marked the first effective judgment in China to identify the dissemination of confidential game content as infringement under the Anti-Unfair Competition Law.

In September 2025, MiHoYo’s legal department reported that a content creator (UP主) was subjected to criminal compulsory measures for leaking unreleased content, and a preliminary injunction was issued by a court against the operator of the “Coffee Forest” QQ channel.

The lawsuit against HomDGCat signifies a shift in MiHoYo’s rights protection strategy from “domestic enforcement” to “global accountability.”

Deterrent Effect: Wave of Shutdowns and Collective Retreat

MiHoYo’s action has sent shockwaves through the overseas leak community. Following the lawsuit against HomDGCat, another game data site with a highly similar operational model, “hakush,” voluntarily announced it would cease updates and plans to shut down, citing the “unacceptable potential legal risks.”

More notably, several well-known leaker accounts have announced their retreat from the scene: Mortis/Anon leaks, HXG_diluc, Galaxy leaks, Shiroha, and others have either paused activity or completely withdrawn. While accounts like “Seele Leaks” have shown some hesitation, the overall message is clear: leakers now realize they could be “the next target.”

Commentary: Defining Boundaries in the Live-Service Game Era

This case is not just an isolated incident for MiHoYo; it reflects a classic博弈 in the era of live-service games. When a game’s vitality depends on continuous updates, content confidentiality becomes a commercial lifeline. How to draw a clear boundary between the player community’s desire for information sharing and the protection of intellectual property rights—safeguarding creators’ interests without stifling community enthusiasm—is a challenge the entire industry will face.

Judging from player feedback, while sites like HomDGCat are indeed convenient for learning about new character strength in advance, excessive spoilers also diminish the element of surprise. Some players pointed out that leaking a company’s unreleased content just to gain influence within the community is “undoubtedly foolish behavior; the law won’t spare you just because you thought you wouldn’t get caught.”

MiHoYo reiterates its stance in the complaint: “using AI and creativity to build better experiences for players” is the company’s core goal, and protecting intellectual property is fundamental to achieving this. If MiHoYo prevails in this lawsuit, the HomDGCat website and associated social media accounts could face forced shutdown, along with substantial financial penalties. Regardless of the final outcome, MiHoYo has sent a clear signal to the global leak ecosystem: no matter where you are, systematically leaking unreleased content can lead to serious legal consequences.