miHoYo’s Legal Blitz: $5.3 Million Recovered, 2,388 Liable in 2025 Anti-Piracy Campaign
The developer behind some of the world’s most popular free-to-play games has released its annual scorecard for intellectual property enforcement, and the numbers are staggering. Chinese studio miHoYo, operating globally as HoYoverse, announced it received over 37 million yuan (approximately $5.3 million) in legal compensation and settlements throughout 2025 as part of its ongoing war against leaks, cheats, and counterfeit merchandise.
In a detailed report published on March 8, 2026, via its official WeChat channel, miHoYo’s Legal Department outlined a year of aggressive enforcement that touched nearly every corner of its gaming empire, which includes Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero, and Honkai: Impact 3rd.
By the Numbers: A Year of Enforcement
The report reveals the sheer scale of miHoYo’s anti-infringement efforts. A total of 2,388 individuals were found liable for various violations, with 1,240 of them issuing public apologies—a practice intended to serve as both punishment and deterrent.
The financial penalties were substantial. One online leaker was ordered to pay 550,000 yuan (around $80,000) for sharing unreleased content from both Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact. In total, more than 300 leakers were held accountable, with some publicly named after criminal sentencing or compensation orders.
Beyond individual accountability, miHoYo’s takedown efforts were equally aggressive:
- 109,242 links containing illegal content were removed from the internet
- 988 infringing accounts were banned
- The company assisted police with 22 criminal cases and administrative authorities with 21 violations
The developer also credited its player community, noting it received over 100,000 infringement reports and leads from fans—a testament to the passionate (and watchful) nature of the gacha gaming audience.
What Was Targeted?
The lawsuits and enforcement actions covered a wide spectrum of violations:
- Leaks: Unauthorized disclosure of unreleased game content, character designs, and story details
- Cheats: Distribution of software that provides unfair advantages in gameplay
- Private servers: Illegal, unauthorized versions of miHoYo’s games running on third-party infrastructure
- Counterfeit merchandise: Fake physical goods bearing miHoYo’s intellectual property
- Defamation: False statements damaging to the company or its games
- Unlawful account selling: Black market trading of player accounts
A Long History of Aggressive Enforcement
This legal blitz is consistent with miHoYo’s long-standing reputation for protecting its intellectual property with unusual ferocity. In 2022, Genshin Impact cheat creators served jail time and paid a $50,000 fine. More recently, in June 2025, a Honkai: Star Rail player was sued for $150,000 by Cognosphere, miHoYo’s publisher, simply for streaming unreleased gameplay.
While many game studios struggle to track down anonymous leakers and cheat developers, miHoYo has demonstrated a consistent ability to translate online pseudonyms into real-world legal liability.
Why This Matters
For the average player, miHoYo’s crackdown has mixed implications. On one hand, leaks can spoil carefully crafted narrative surprises and disrupt marketing plans. On the other, the fandom surrounding games like Genshin Impact thrives on speculation and community discussion—activities that exist in a gray area between enthusiasm and infringement.
The company’s willingness to pursue individuals for relatively small-scale violations (by corporate standards) sends a clear message: miHoYo treats its intellectual property as a fortress, and it is willing to deploy significant resources to defend it.
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Looking Ahead
The legal battles come as miHoYo continues to expand its empire. The company has multiple titles in development, including Honkai: Nexus Anima, Petit Planet, and Varsapura. A long-awaited Genshin Impact anime produced by Ufotable also remains in the works, though no release date has been announced.
For Genshin Impact players, the immediate future includes the Version 6.5 “Luna VI” update arriving in early April, introducing new character Linnea and offering up to ten 5-Star characters in concurrent banners—including the new Anemo unit Varka.
As miHoYo continues to grow, one thing is certain: the company’s legal department will remain as active as its development teams.