Individual Behind The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch Model Leak Faces Serious Consequences

Apr 13, 2023 | 1:20 PM EDT

Individual Behind The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch Model Leak Faces Serious Consequences

Apr 13, 2023 | 1:20 PM EDT

Nintendo is having a stellar year. With the success of the Super Mario Bros. Movie and the announcement of Nintendo Live 2023 in the US, they sure are giving fans a treat.

With The Legend of Zelda: Tear of the Kingdom making its way for a release next month, Nintendo announced a Switch OLED model designed around the game. The Nintendo Switch OLED was officially going to be released before the game in April 2023. But now some leaks of the Switch OLED have surfaced online.

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The leaker of the Zelda-themed Nintendo Switch OLED is in deep waters

The whole incident started when images of the Zelda Switch OLED surfaced on the Chinese forum Tieba. Fans quickly posted these images on Famiboards. They released photos of The Legend of Zelda: Tear of the Kingdom-themed dock and a set of Joy-Con with green and white colors.

Following the initial leak, a GameStop employee allegedly leaked images of the Switch OLED when the employee shared a photo of the company’s inventory database. After the leaked images surfaced online, GameStop fired the individual who played a part in this leak from his job. GameStop fired the employee for violating company policy, according to Kotaku.

Following the leaks, fans speculated Nintendo would reveal the system ahead of the new gameplay trailer for Tears of the Kingdom.

Nintendo’s action against leaks

GameStop fired the employee on April 11, barely two weeks after the presentation. What’s interesting is that another GameStop employee believes Nintendo tracked the leak back to the individual who leaked it. They tracked him down on Reddit and other social media platforms and pushed GameStop to fire him as a result of the leak.

The employee probably didn’t think they would get in trouble. This is the reason why the employee was not trying to cover the tracks. But alas, this was the reason the individual got terminated. The manager informed the employee, “This is your favorite company and now they hate you,” before terminating.

Fans have accused Nintendo of censoring content creators before too. Nintendo banned The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild YouTuber recently. They placed a ban on him from monetizing his videos. Recently fans also thought the emulator ban on Xbox was also due to Nintendo. Microsoft recently released a statement, clearing the doubts about Nintendo for emulator bans.

Watch this Story: Top 5 Upcoming Video Games That Have Already Pissed Fans Off

What are your thoughts on Nintendo’s actions? Let us know in the comment section below.

Written by

Ajitesh Rawat

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Ajitesh Rawat is a WNBA and College Basketball Writer at EssentiallySports, where he leads the outlet’s Strategy Desk. With a research-driven approach and a reader-first mindset shaped during his stint as a Content Analyst, he covers the mechanics of the game with depth and precision. From injury reports and roster depth charts to player trades and transfer portal moves, Ajitesh brings clarity to the decisions that shape outcomes. Known for highlighting under-covered talent across the women’s game, his reporting has also earned him a spot in ES’ Journalistic Excellence Program. Beyond basketball, Ajitesh’s versatility has seen him spearhead LPGA and LIV Golf coverage while contributing to esports and FPS gaming guides, a reflection of his background as both a game developer and digital strategist. That unique blend of technical expertise and editorial instinct allows him to navigate fast-moving sports landscapes while connecting fans to the tactical and cultural undercurrents driving the games they love.

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Jito Tenson