A YouTuber has claimed Nintendo tracked down the source of an unauthorised Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS footage leak, but Nintendo itself has not confirmed the report.
The allegation came via a tweet from content creator BalrogTheMaster, who said the person responsible was an employee of Nintendo of America and that the individual had been transferring footage to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) for rating.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is the handheld entry in Nintendo’s long-running fighting series, developed by Sora Ltd. with support from Bandai Namco and published by Nintendo.
The 3DS version launched in Japan on September 13, 2014, and in North America and Europe on October 3, 2014.
The title was directed by Masahiro Sakurai and released alongside a Wii U version later in 2014.
Rewritten claim for clarity: BalrogTheMaster asserted on Twitter that Nintendo had located the individual responsible for the leaked 3DS footage and alleged that the leaker worked at Nintendo of America and was in the process of submitting content to the ESRB for rating.
He added that, if accurate, Nintendo’s internal investigative teams—colloquially referred to online as “Nintendo Ninjas”—had acted quickly to identify the source.
It is important to note that these statements are unverified.
Nintendo has not issued a public confirmation addressing the specific claim, and the ESRB does not typically comment on individual submissions.
The ESRB is the North American organization responsible for assigning age and content ratings to video games and related materials; in the past, listings or filings with ratings boards have occasionally surfaced before official announcements and contributed to early leaks.
Leaks of high-profile Nintendo projects have occurred intermittently over the company’s history; however, when assessing reports circulated on social media and by independent creators, official confirmation from Nintendo or an authoritative source remains the definitive indicator of accuracy.
For readers tracking developments, rely on statements from Nintendo or the ESRB for confirmation.
Coverage of Super Smash Bros. titles, including release timelines and platform details such as Nintendo 3DS and eShop availability, is regularly included in Nintendo Direct presentations and official press releases.
The allegation came via a tweet from content creator BalrogTheMaster, who said the person responsible was an employee of Nintendo of America and that the individual had been transferring footage to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) for rating.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is the handheld entry in Nintendo’s long-running fighting series, developed by Sora Ltd. with support from Bandai Namco and published by Nintendo.
The 3DS version launched in Japan on September 13, 2014, and in North America and Europe on October 3, 2014.
The title was directed by Masahiro Sakurai and released alongside a Wii U version later in 2014.
Rewritten claim for clarity: BalrogTheMaster asserted on Twitter that Nintendo had located the individual responsible for the leaked 3DS footage and alleged that the leaker worked at Nintendo of America and was in the process of submitting content to the ESRB for rating.
He added that, if accurate, Nintendo’s internal investigative teams—colloquially referred to online as “Nintendo Ninjas”—had acted quickly to identify the source.
It is important to note that these statements are unverified.
Nintendo has not issued a public confirmation addressing the specific claim, and the ESRB does not typically comment on individual submissions.
The ESRB is the North American organization responsible for assigning age and content ratings to video games and related materials; in the past, listings or filings with ratings boards have occasionally surfaced before official announcements and contributed to early leaks.
Leaks of high-profile Nintendo projects have occurred intermittently over the company’s history; however, when assessing reports circulated on social media and by independent creators, official confirmation from Nintendo or an authoritative source remains the definitive indicator of accuracy.
For readers tracking developments, rely on statements from Nintendo or the ESRB for confirmation.
Coverage of Super Smash Bros. titles, including release timelines and platform details such as Nintendo 3DS and eShop availability, is regularly included in Nintendo Direct presentations and official press releases.
