Well it lasted a lot longer than 3 and 2 but Bungie's forthcoming opus has finally made it into the hands of the crooks, who are reportedly distributing 2 online via the usual channels even as we speak. The pirated release is a PAL, French-language edition and it is not yet clear how the exclusive title made it online.

Microsoft however are presenting an unfazed image, reaffirming the November 9th release date. "Microsoft takes the integrity of its intellectual property extremely seriously, and we are aggressively pursuing the source of this illegal act," commented on their planned investigations. Those downloading this leak do so with the risk of a $100,000 fine if caught. We'll keep you posted on this.

By Luke Guttridge