An official statement from legendary developer id Software has warned both print and online media that the company will refuse to work with any publication which reproduces a number of leaked images of forthcoming PC first person shooter Quake 4.
The statement was issued jointly by id and publisher Activision, and refers to a large number of concept art images and renders which were released onto the Internet on Friday - allegedly after being taken from a company network by hackers, according to some sources.
The company is also thought to have issued legal threats to at least one website which linked to the images.
"We do not know the source of these leaked assets," explains the official statement. "Please be warned that id Software has instructed Activision that we are not to work with any magazine which uses any of these assets. If any magazine does so, id Software will not allow any assets for id games to be sent to these magazines in the future."
Quake IV, like Return to Castle Wolfenstein, is a continuation of a popular id Software franchise which is being developed by a different studio (Raven, in this instance) under the supervision of id itself. No firm date for the launch of the game has yet been set, but it is not expected until Mid "04 at the earliest.