The gaming leak community is having its moment. The Leakies 2025, an annual awards ceremony organized by the r/GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit, has opened voting for what might be the most chaotic and revealing year in gaming leak history. From Pokemon’s entire future roadmap getting exposed to Half-Life 3 rumors reaching fever pitch, 2025 delivered more than anyone expected. Now the community gets to decide which leaks, leakers, and moments deserve recognition.
Voting opened on January 6, 2026, with results set to be announced within a week. The awards cover everything from legitimate industry scoops to spectacular failures, and the nominee list reads like a timeline of gaming’s most dramatic moments. With categories ranging from Leak of the Year to Best Unofficially Official Leaker, The Leakies celebrate both the absurdity and importance of gaming’s underground information network.
GameFreak’s Five Year Plan Takes Center Stage
One of the biggest nominees for Leak of the Year 2025 is the GameFreak roadmap leak that exposed Pokemon plans stretching all the way to 2030. In October 2025, hackers breached Game Freak’s servers and released what’s known as the “Teraleak,” revealing internal documents about unannounced Pokemon games, development timelines, and even scrapped projects. The leak showed Pokemon Generation 10 (codenamed Gaia, with games titled Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves) targeting a 2026 launch as Switch 2 exclusives, followed by Generation 11 in 2030.
But the leak went beyond just game titles. It revealed an ambitious Pokemon MMO project in development, concept art for a third Pokemon Legends spin-off, and plans for a multi-region remake codenamed Project Seed that would let players walk seamlessly from Sinnoh to Hoenn. The leak also confirmed that long-requested Black and White remakes aren’t currently in the works, disappointing fans who’ve been waiting for years. Perhaps most frustrating were the scrapped Pokemon Legends: Ho-Oh and Lugia games set in the Johto region, which would have explored the origins of the first Pokemon trainers.
The Year Half-Life 3 Rumors Exploded
Another major Leak of the Year nominee is the Half-Life 3 situation, or as some leakers call it, HLX. Rumors about Valve’s most anticipated game reached unprecedented levels in 2025, with multiple credible sources suggesting development was not only real but nearly finished. In April 2025, reports emerged claiming Half-Life 3 was originally planned for a 2025 release, though nothing materialized.
The hype peaked around The Game Awards in December 2025 when Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier teased two unbelievable announcements. The gaming community immediately assumed one would be Half-Life 3, but Schreier later clarified his earlier prediction about a 2025 launch was just speculation with no inside information. Prominent Half-Life data miners like Tyler McVicker confirmed the HLX project exists but stressed there’s no known announcement date, tempering expectations while keeping hope alive.
Leaker of the Year Competition
The Leaker of the Year category features gaming’s most reliable insiders, including Billbil-kun, DuskGolem, Jason Schreier, Jeff Grubb, Jez Corden, Mike Straw, NatetheHate, Shinobi602, Tom Henderson, and Tom Warren. These individuals have built reputations for accurate reporting on everything from game announcements to industry controversies. According to community sentiment in the voting thread, Jez Corden is a strong contender for the title, having consistently delivered Xbox and Microsoft-related leaks throughout 2025.
The awards also include a Best Unofficially Official Leaker category, which recognizes industry figures who technically aren’t leakers but somehow always seem to know what’s coming. This tongue-in-cheek category highlights the blurry line between legitimate journalism and leak culture, where some sources maintain official relationships with companies while dropping hints that fuel speculation.
Worst Kept Secrets and Industry Scandals
The Worst Kept Secret Award 2025 nominees reveal which upcoming games and announcements were basically open knowledge before official reveals. Oblivion Remastered tops the list, with rumors circulating for months about a remake using Unreal Engine 5 being developed by Virtuos. Other nominees include the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal date being leaked well in advance, Leon Kennedy’s confirmed return in Resident Evil: Requiem, and FromSoftware’s unannounced game nicknamed “MC” being deep in development.
More serious nominees appear in this category too, including Rockstar’s union-busting efforts and Xbox Game Pass price hikes. The GameFreak leak also makes this list since the company’s entire roadmap became public knowledge months or years before intended announcements. These leaks cross from entertainment into industry accountability, showing how leak culture can expose corporate practices alongside game reveals.
Other Notable Nominees
Titanfall 3, Half-Life 3/HLX, and a new Nier game round out the Worst Kept Secret nominees. Titanfall 3 rumors gained traction after dataminers discovered references in Apex Legends code, though Respawn Entertainment has remained silent on the subject. The new Nier game leak suggested the original development team is working on another entry in the beloved action RPG series, exciting fans of NieR: Automata and NieR Replicant.
The Egyptian setting for the next mainline Assassin’s Creed game also made the list, continuing Ubisoft’s tradition of historical settings being leaked well before official announcements. Industry insider Tom Henderson reportedly confirmed this detail months ago, making it one of gaming’s least surprising upcoming revelations.
Why The Leakies Matter
While The Leakies exist primarily as community entertainment, they serve a larger purpose in gaming culture. The awards highlight the complex relationship between game developers, publishers, media, and fans. Some leaks generate excitement and build hype for upcoming releases. Others expose problematic business practices like union-busting or exploitative monetization schemes that companies would prefer to keep quiet.
The 2025 awards particularly emphasize this duality. The GameFreak leak revealed years of Pokemon content fans can look forward to, but it also came from a criminal hack that violated the company’s security. Similarly, leaks about games like Half-Life 3 keep franchises alive in public consciousness, potentially pressuring developers to actually deliver on fan expectations. The community voting on these categories essentially debates what kinds of leaks deserve celebration versus criticism.
FAQs About The Leakies 2025
What are The Leakies 2025?
The Leakies 2025 are community-driven awards organized by the r/GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit to recognize the biggest gaming leaks, most reliable leakers, and memorable moments from leak culture in 2025. Voting opened on January 6, 2026, with results expected within a week.
Who nominated the games and leakers for The Leakies?
All nominees were selected based on community input from the r/GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit, its sister leak circlejerk community, and the official Discord channel. The organizers compiled suggestions from these sources to create the final nominee lists across all categories.
What was the biggest gaming leak of 2025?
The GameFreak leak is considered one of the biggest, exposing Pokemon’s development plans through 2030 including Generation 10 and 11 details, an MMO project, and scrapped games. The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal date leak and Half-Life 3 rumors are also major nominees for Leak of the Year.
Who are the most reliable gaming leakers in 2025?
The Leaker of the Year nominees include Jason Schreier, Jeff Grubb, Jez Corden, Tom Henderson, Tom Warren, Billbil-kun, DuskGolem, Mike Straw, NatetheHate, and Shinobi602. These individuals have established track records for accurate gaming industry reporting and leak verification.
Is Half-Life 3 actually in development?
According to multiple leakers, a Half-Life project codenamed HLX is in development at Valve, though there’s no confirmed announcement date. Rumors suggested it was nearly finished in 2025, but prominent data miners like Tyler McVicker have cautioned that announcement timing remains unknown despite ongoing speculation.
What games are coming in Pokemon Generation 10?
The GameFreak leak revealed Generation 10 games are codenamed Gaia and titled Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves, targeting a 2026 launch as Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives. DLC is reportedly planned for 2027, with Generation 11 following in 2030.
How do I vote for The Leakies 2025?
Voting is conducted through a linked form in the official announcement post on the r/GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit. The voting period lasts approximately one week from January 6, 2026, with results announced after voting closes.
Conclusion
The Leakies 2025 capture a transformative year in gaming leak culture where major revelations became regular occurrences. From GameFreak’s entire roadmap spilling online to persistent Half-Life 3 speculation and industry controversies getting exposed, 2025 proved that secrets in gaming are harder to keep than ever. Whether these leaks help or hurt the industry remains debatable, but The Leakies ensure the community at least gets to celebrate, critique, and memorialize the year’s wildest moments. As voting continues, one thing is clear: the relationship between official announcements and underground information has permanently changed how gamers experience upcoming releases. The awards might be tongue-in-cheek, but the impact of leak culture on gaming is absolutely serious.