Before you believe a game leak, check these five things
A practical way to separate actual announcements from recycled screenshots and wishful thinking.
It's easy to see the same supposed announcement on five different accounts and assume five different sources have confirmed it. Often, all five point back to one anonymous post. Before sharing a leak, here's a faster way to work out what you're actually looking at.
1. Find the original source
Not the loudest repost. Not the screenshot of a screenshot. Track the claim back to the first identifiable account, document or statement. Check whether the source has a history of getting specific details right, and whether the original wording was more cautious than the headline being shared.
One source repeated a hundred times is still one source. Multiple independent reports should lead back to independently gathered information, not the same viral post.
2. Separate evidence from interpretation
A store listing, a developer job advert or a ratings-board entry may be real without proving the bigger claim built around it. Ask two questions: What does this actually show? And what is someone assuming it means?
For example, an updated store page might show that something changed. It does not automatically confirm a release date, a platform or a surprise announcement.
3. Check the date and context
Old concept art, past trademarks and abandoned prototypes regularly circulate as fresh discoveries. Look for the upload date, archive copies, the original game and any signs that a clip has been cropped or edited. An authentic image with the wrong caption can still make a misleading story.
4. Look for confirmation where it would appear
When a publisher or studio has actually announced something, there is usually an attributable official post, press release, trailer or store page. Search those channels directly. If none exists, describe the story as unconfirmed rather than treating silence as proof of a secret plan.
5. Ask what would disprove it
Good claims are specific enough to test. Beware of predictions that can always be reinterpreted: “soon,” “maybe a reveal,” or “plans changed.” Also watch for fabricated screenshots that never link to the supposed original.
Interesting is not the same thing as confirmed.
Leaks and rumours can be part of the fun. The goal isn't to stop speculating; it's to be clear about when we're speculating. That's the distinction we'll keep making at GameOnCue.
GameOnCue editorial note: This is an original, evergreen guide. It isn't a report about a particular unannounced game or a substitute for current official information.
Original GameOnCue editorial guide published in October 2026. This is practical advice, not a report of hands-on product testing.