Epic Games has reached a proposed settlement in its lawsuit against a former contractor accused of leaking sensitive Fortnite collaboration details before official announcements. The case centers on allegations that the contractor, identified as Hayden Cohen, was responsible for sharing unreleased game content online under the alias “AdiraFN.”
According to court filings reviewed by Game File and reported on July 4, 2026, both parties have agreed to a judgment that includes a permanent injunction restricting Cohen from accessing or distributing Epic’s confidential information.
Leak allegations tied to major Fortnite collaborations
Epic originally filed the lawsuit in March, claiming that Cohen violated his non-disclosure agreement while working under contract for the company. The leaks allegedly included early disclosures of multiple Fortnite collaborations, including crossover content involving major franchises such as Minecraft, South Park, and others.
Epic argued that Cohen
“repeatedly misappropriated Epic’s trade secret information and broadcasted it publicly through his anonymous social media accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and Discord,”
according to the original complaint.
The leaked material reportedly surfaced months ahead of official announcements, prompting internal investigations and legal action from the company.
Under the proposed agreement, Cohen is permanently barred from:
- Possessing or accessing Epic Games’ confidential information
- Disclosing trade secrets or partner-related content
- Assisting others in obtaining or sharing restricted data
An Epic spokesperson confirmed the outcome to Game File, stating:
“We took legal action against the former contractor who repeatedly leaked confidential partner IP and trade secrets that they received while working with Epic. We’ve asked the court to approve the stipulated injunction to ensure they cannot publish or share Epic’s confidential information again.”
Notably, the settlement does not include a publicly disclosed financial penalty, despite Epic’s initial lawsuit seeking damages for “actual loss and unjust enrichment.”
No monetary ruling yet as court review continues
While Epic has successfully pursued financial judgments in previous cheating-related cases, the company has not confirmed whether monetary compensation was part of this resolution. A company representative declined to provide further comment on the matter.
The settlement remains subject to court approval, meaning the injunction will only become fully enforceable once a judge formally signs off on the agreement.
