Unreleased New Games Leaked Again Through Game Rating Board, 'Administrative Contradiction' is the Cause

gamemeca Ⅰ Shin Jae Yeon 2026.05.27 18:02 UTC+9

TL;DR (2-3 Sentence Summary)

On the 26th, information about unreleased new games was revealed externally due to the public announcement of rating classification decisions posted on the electronic gazette by the Game Rating and Administration Committee. The confirmed titles are 'Lego Skyline' and 'Persona 4 Revival,' which have begun to garner significant attention among domestic and international gamers due to the sudden new information. This incident marks another leak originating from a rating institution, occurring approximately one month after the security vulnerability leak incident involving Indonesia's game review agency in April.

게임물관리위원회 현판 (사진출처: 게임물관리위원회) — ▲ The Game Rating and Administration Committee's plaque (Photo courtesy of the Game Rating and Administration Committee)

The Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC) inadvertently revealed some details about unreleased games on the 26th, when its rating classifications were published on the official gazette. The titles in question, 'Lego Skyline' and 'Persona 4 Revival', have since garnered significant attention from gamers worldwide amidst the unexpected news.

This incident follows a similar security breachfrom Indonesia's game classification body in April,marking another instance of information leakage originating from a regulatory agency within approximately a month. While the scale of this leak pales in comparison to the previous one, the recurrence of such leaks through classification bodies is a cause for concern.

In South Korea, specifically, the leakage of new game information during the classification processhas even been formally addressed in parliamentary audits,highlighting it as a long-standing issue. The fact that the classification numbers released on the 26th were not searchable on the GRAC website has led some to speculate that the committee mishandled a developer's request for confidentiality, pointing to procedural flaws.

여러 등급분류 결정 게임물 중 일부 미공개 신작 관련 정보가 공개되며 주목을 받았다 (사진출처: 게임물관리위원회) — ▲ Among various rated games, information concerning some unreleased titles was disclosed, drawing attention (Photo courtesy of the Game Rating and Administration Committee)

However, our investigation has revealed that this is not due to procedural shortcomings by the GRAC, but rather a consequence of the current South Korean game law. A GRAC official stated in a conversation with Gamemeca, "The publication on the electronic official gazette is a legitimate procedure mandated by Article 24 of the current Game Industry Promotion Act."

According to the GRAC official, while it's possible to withhold unpublished information upon a developer's request, all games for which a rating has been decided or cancelled must, by law, be published on the agency's website and the official gazette without exception. The GRAC states that it informs developers and distributors of this legal obligation when such confidentiality requests are made.

▲ Article 24 of the Game Industry Promotion Act (Source: National Law Information Center)

게임산업진흥에 관한 법률 시행규칙 제14조 (자료출처: 국가법령정보센터) — ▲ Article 14 of the Enforcement Rule of the Game Industry Promotion Act (Source: National Law Information Center)

Under the current game law, any new game intended for release in the South Korean market must undergo a classification process. However, once classified, the game's details are inevitably published on the official gazette. This means that regardless of any 'blind' services the GRAC may offer, creators must accept the unavoidable risk of information disclosure to launch their games domestically.

This situation is bound to significantly undermine the competitiveness of the South Korean game market. As discussions surrounding the revision of the Game Law encompass various aspects such as classification, loot box regulation, and addiction control, it's crucial to simultaneously consider institutional frameworks that can foster trust with global game companies in the domestic market.

View original text

This news was translated by AI.

Shin Jae Yeon, Reporter

News

Unreleased New Games Leaked Again Through Game Rating Board, 'Administrative Contradiction' is the Cause