Microsoft has confirmed that Gears of War Judgment has been leaked to torrent sites.
The company said in a statement issued to CVG: "We are aware of isolated cases in which Gears of War: Judgment content has been propped on the Web and are working closely with our security teams and law enforcement to address the situation immediately.
"Consumers should be aware that piracy is illegal and we take vigorous action against illegal activity related to our products and services. Playing pirated copies of games, such as Gears of War: Judgment, is a violation of the Xbox Live Terms of Use and will result in enforcement action, such as account and console bans."
Microsoft has announced a Gears of War: Judgment release date of March 19, 2013 in the US and March 22 in the UK, as well as a range of bonuses for customers who place Gears of War: Judgment pre-orders.
The upcoming Gears prequel will see players taking control of Baird and Cole as they experience the first battles in the war with the Locusts. Get our hands-on impressions of the campaign in this Gears of War: Judgment preview.
A pre-release build of Gears of War 3, playable but in a very visible state of incompleteness, was also leaked onto the internet two months before the game's September 2011 release.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more