Who is Darin Harris? Meet the Tennessee man who was arrested for leaking Starfield

Darin Harris, who leaked Starfield gameplay a few days ago, has been arrested for allegedly trying to sell stolen copies of the game before its release date of September 6, 2023. He was later released for a bail of $10,000, with a court date set for September 8. According to the police report, Harris is accused of stealing multiple copies of the game that he claims to have legally purchased.

Anticipation regarding Bethesda's upcoming space odyssey, Starfield, is at an all-time high as players hold their breath ahead of its September 1 early access release. It is the first new IP by The Elder Scrolls and Fallout studio in over two decades and a true Bethesda RPG since 2015's Fallout 4. Furthermore, it is advertised as the first big upcoming title under the Xbox banner. Suffice it to say, a lot is riding on Starfield.

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Starfield leaker arrested on charges of allegedly selling stolen copies of the game

Darin Harris, the 29-year-old from Tennessee, first came to the forefront when he uploaded around 45 minutes of gameplay footage captured on a cellphone. While the original gameplay video was immediately taken down by YouTube, it quickly circulated on social media and became viral.

Later, he also shared his thoughts on the game in a short clip on Twitter (X), addressing Todd Howard, the director of Starfield, saying:

“Todd (Howard), no offense man, that’s a good game. Perfect Timing… How they leave the earth and all... Good story.”

As reported by Kotaku, Harris later reportedly uploaded multiple listings of the game on the Japanese e-commerce platform Mercari, including the collector's Constellation Edition. He was also later spotted going to FedEx and shipping successfully sold copies.

On August 24, Harris was arrested and processed by the Shelby County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office on charges of (according to the Sheriff Office’s website) $2,500-$10,000 worth of stolen property, a misdemeanor charge for $1,000 or less of stolen property, and a misdemeanor charge for possession of marijuana.

He was later released on August 25 with a bail bond of $10,000, with a court date set for September 8, a couple of days after the game's release.

Leaks regarding Starfield have been a widespread issue. From the entire story being uploaded on the subreddit to the intensive leak of the game's skill menu, it has had more than its fair share of unofficial reveals.

While the leaks do increase the anticipation and hype for the game, they more often than not ruin key moments that players otherwise would have loved to be surprised by and experience for themselves.