When Epic Games filed a lawsuit against one of its former contractors on March 5, the case exposed an uncomfortable truth about internal security: one of Fortnite's most prolific leakers was working inside the company the whole time.
The defendant, Hayden Cohen, operated the AdiraFN social media account under aliases including AdiraFNInfo. According to the lawsuit filed in North Carolina, Cohen served as an Associate Producer on Epic projects and held valid access to confidential partnership information. Despite signing a nondisclosure agreement, he repeatedly shared unannounced collaboration details on X and Discord starting in early January 2026.
The alleged leaks were significant in scope. Epic claims Cohen disclosed specific cosmetics, exact release dates, and development status updates for major crossovers. Fortnite confirmed he leaked the South Park collaboration two days before the official announcement, followed by details about the Solo Leveling partnership and numerous other unreleased content.
Cohen's leaking extended beyond mere spoilers. Epic alleged in the complaint that "over the next month, Defendant made dozens of posts on X and Discord disclosing confidential details about unannounced Fortnite content." The account amassed more than 13,000 followers before being disabled in late February.
What sets this case apart from typical leaker disputes is Cohen's position as an insider. Most Fortnite dataminers, like popular accounts HYPEX and Shiina, discover content by analysing game files that Epic inadvertently exposed. They benefit from potential journalistic protections. Cohen, by contrast, was simultaneously the source and distributor of confidential information. Epic claims he acted "to increase his social media clout," a characterisation that now appears in federal court documents.
The company says the leaks damaged relationships with external partners and forced them to reallocate resources to address disruptions. Epic is pursuing charges of trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, and violations of North Carolina's unfair competition law. The lawsuit seeks damages, a permanent injunction, and return of all confidential materials in Cohen's possession.
The case reflects a broader shift in how gaming studios handle confidentiality breaches. While Epic has historically tolerated community datamining as an unavoidable part of live-service operations, internal leaks cross a different line. The company stated bluntly: "We absolutely do not allow this and will continue to take action when Epic team members share confidential info."