The biggest leak in Xbox history was the fault of Microsoft, not the FTC

2023 is proving to be a very busy year for Microsoft. Especially for his efforts to close the purchase of Activision Blizzard. However, his year will now be marked by a different theme: Xbox suffered the biggest leak in its history. Over the past few hours, people have been looking for someone to blame for what happened, most of them pointing – without evidence – squarely at the Federal Trade Commission. However, the reality is that everything happened due to Microsoft’s oversight.

First, the US regulator distanced itself from what happened. Although the files outlining Xbox’s plans for the next 7 years were on the public server of the Northern District Court of California, They were not uploaded by the Federal Trade Commission..

“The FTC is not responsible for uploading Microsoft’s plans for its games and consoles to the court’s website. Microsoft is responsible for any error in downloading these documents.“he commented NBCNews Douglas Farrar, spokesman for the Federal Trade Commission.

At this point, it is important to pause and explain the following. During the trial pitting Microsoft against the Federal Trade Commission over its purchase of Activision, both sides produced documents that were publicly available. right here in Hypertext We rely on them in various publications.

Nevertheless, have been edited to hide sensitive or confidential information. Thus, some of the files leaked today could also be made public, but with the concealment of any data that could harm the development of the lawsuit or cause direct harm to Microsoft.

The problem is that Microsoft – most likely its lawyers – provided the documents without any editing. They were to be transmitted only to authorized personnel through secure and, of course, private communication channels.

Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, in a ruling issued shortly after the leak, found that the documents should not have been released.

On the other hand, the source consulted Bloombergwho wished to remain anonymous due to his closeness to the case, assured that The error is entirely due to the Xbox matrix. Understanding the turmoil caused in the early morning of September 19, she quickly asked the court to remove the files.

Obviously it was too late. By the time Microsoft realized its mistake, confidential Xbox information was quickly spreading throughout the Internet. Users of ResetEra, the world’s most popular video game forum, were the first to find a goldmine. It didn’t take them long to analyze and spread the leak.

Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, has already spoken on this matter: “We have seen talk about old emails and documents. It’s hard to imagine our team’s work being divided in this way because so much has changed. I look forward to the present and the future. We will share real plans when we are ready.”

Among the most relevant information about the leak are, for example, Xbox Series X with updated design, without a hard drive and with a memory capacity of 2 TB. It will be released at the end of 2024 and will cost the same as the current console. A redesigned controller has also been spotted, even in its Elite variant. And most of the talk is generated by emails in which Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, expresses interest in buying Nintendo.