Microsoft Is Ready To Ban Halo: Reach Pirates

As leaked copies of Halo: Reach hit the torrent sites, Microsoft tells Kotaku that they are aggressively investigating the leak and are fully prepared to hand out bans to anyone caught playing the game pre-release.

It happens every time a big game comes out, but when it's a game as big as Bungie's final Halo title, Microsoft sits up and takes notice. Released on the internet far in advance of its September 14 street date, a Microsoft representative tells Kotaku that the source of the leak is under investigation.

"We are aware that an unauthorized copy of "Halo: Reach" has leaked. We are aggressively investigating the matter. We have no further details to share at this time."

So where does that leave folks who can't resist the lure of early Halo: Reach? Even if you have every intention of picking up a retail copy, we'd suggest you wait, lest Microsoft come after you.

"We are aggressively pursuing the violators. Microsoft's commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the 25 million members of the Xbox LIVE community remains a top priority. All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and modifying their Xbox 360 console violates the Xbox LIVE terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox LIVE."

Send an email to Michael Fahey, the author of this post, at fahey@kotaku.com.