The anime community recently witnessed one of the most disastrous leaks in recent times as multiple episodes of series scheduled for Fall 2024 were uploaded online ahead of their official release dates.
Netflix was the worst affected, with several titles, including Dandadan and Terminator, leaked ahead of their scheduled screenings on the platform.
Among these, the first episode of Re:Zero Season 3, which was part of Crunchyroll’s Fall lineup, was also leaked.
In response to the leak, Crunchyroll released a statement to The Wrap, announcing that they have launched an investigation to determine how the first episode of Re:Zero Season 3 was leaked.
The statement read, “We are aware of a content leak ahead of one of our fall series. We’ve opened an investigation to identify the source of this leak, and our team is taking action to have it taken down.”
According to some fans, the source of the leak might have originated from the Japan Expo which was held in Paris this July.
The episode was actually going to be screened at the Japan Expo on July 11, 2024, but was eventually cancelled. However, according to reports, there was a Japan Expo 2024 watermark on the episode, confirming that the leak originated from the event.
This was different from how anime episodes from Netflix, involving Iyuno was leaked.
This isn’t the first time Crunchyroll has faced episode leaks this year. In April, episodes from their Spring 2024 anime lineup also leaked online, with fans attributing the source to two anime conventions – Sakura Con and Puerto Rico Comic Con (PRCC) in late March.
Notably, the PRCC event schedule had premiered all the leaked titled in their event.
Crunchyroll addressed those leaks with a brief statement but did not provide further details.
The recurring leaks raise concerns about the security measures at pre-screening and premiere events conducted at anime conventions before an anime’s official release. The effectiveness of current security protocols at such events are becoming increasingly pressing.