We at NerdLeaks are revisiting one of the most chaotic moments in Xbox history — a reveal that, according to Pure Xbox, unfolded far earlier than Microsoft planned. The story, as reported by Pure Xbox, centres on the launch of the compact, budget-focused Xbox Series S and a leak that pushed Team Xbox into an unexpected, public response.
What Was Reported
Per Pure Xbox, the Xbox Series S had been the subject of rumours under the codename "Lockhart" before it was formally revealed in September of 2020 ahead of a November release. However, that reveal did not go to plan. On the morning of September 8th that year, loads of images of the Xbox Series S started appearing on social media. Microsoft hurriedly responded with an official reveal a few hours later, after having an entire press briefing ready to go that was seemingly never used in the end.
The console later launched at a recognised entry price of £249.99 / $299.99, and Pure Xbox calls the Series S "truly an amazing machine for such a low price point." The outlet also notes that this was before the component crisis that "raised prices in recent years."
The Source & Credibility
Pure Xbox is explicit about who reacted publicly to the leak. The piece quotes Brad Rossetti, described as the Xbox Insider Program Lead, calling the situation "so frustrating" and highlighting that people had tried hard "to keep it under wraps for so many reasons".
Pure Xbox also cites an even stronger reaction from Cindy Walker, identified as an Xbox executive, who denounced the leaks as "THEFT" and insisted "OUR work, our time, our hearts - was STOLEN". These direct quotes are central to Pure Xbox's framing of how the leak affected internal morale.
Finally, Pure Xbox offers a comparison to a later situation in 2023, suggesting that some might argue an even worse leak occurred during the FTC investigation into Xbox's Activision Blizzard takeover — although that 2023 issue, per Pure Xbox, was based on "old emails and documents" rather than leaked photos of an imminent console.
What It Could Mean
Take this with a pinch of salt, but if Pure Xbox's account is accurate, the September 2020 leak forced Microsoft to accelerate its public messaging and scramble a planned reveal into a reactive announcement. That rushed public handling is presented as a genuine source of frustration for those involved.
Pure Xbox suggests two other implications: first, that the Series S's low price and compact design were significant enough to make the leak particularly damaging from a commercial and PR standpoint; second, that leaks remain a different beast when they reveal hardware that is "imminently about to release" compared to leaks comprised of historical emails or documents.
We should also note Pure Xbox's view that the console's original price point made it "an amazing machine for such a low price point," while later market conditions changed due to component shortages — a reminder that the circumstances around a leak and the product it exposes can matter a great deal.
Why This Matters
According to Pure Xbox, the 2020 Series S leak shows how a single breach of secrecy can impact not only a product launch but the people behind it. Public expressions from figures like Brad Rossetti and Cindy Walker frame the event as more than a marketing hiccup: it was an emotional hit to Team Xbox.
Leaks that expose imminent hardware carry different consequences than archival document dumps, and Pure Xbox's reporting encourages us to view each case on its own terms. Whether you remember waking up to Series S images on social media or you discovered the console later, the episode is a useful case study in how quickly plans can be upended and how teams react when months of secrecy evaporate in a single morning.
As ever, take this reporting with a degree of scepticism — it is shaped around the quotes and framing presented by Pure Xbox — but it remains a compelling snapshot of a chaotic reveal that, according to Pure Xbox, left Team Xbox feeling that something fundamental had been taken from them.