Microsoft told gaming website Joystiq that the company is investigating reports of a Halo 4 leak and is working with law enforcement to manage the situation.
"We have seen the reports of 'Halo 4' content being propped on the Web and are working closely with our security teams and law enforcement to address the situation," a Microsoft spokesperson told Joystiq.
According to the report, several images have emerged on popular game sit including NeoGaf and Reddit, revealing the game's two disc, and the Xbox 360 dashboard showing the game in the ready to play slot.
Microsoft explained to Joystiq that the game will need two discs because Halo 4's second disc "contains data that will need to be installed on an Xbox 360 hard drive or compatible flash storage device with at least 8GB of available memory in order to access 'Halo 4's' extensive suite of multiplayer features."
Joystiq points out that Microsoft has used this tactic before with the retail release of Forza Motorsport 4 and the game site says that once the first disc is installs the multiplayer content, only the first disc will be required.
According to a recent report from G4TV, an unidentified individual has posted some videos of gameplay to the Internet and images. Microsoft recently created new Game Content Usage Rules, which state that footage from Microsoft games, cannot be posted for financial gain. This could really be bad for the person who leaked the footage and images.
Halo 4 is the first installment in a new trilogy of the successful Halo series of games. The new "Reclaimer Trilogy" takes place four years after the events of Halo 3 with the Master Chief having been lost in space. The game's official synopsis reads: "The Master Chief returns to battle an ancient evil bent on vengeance and annihilation. Shipwrecked on a mysterious world, faced with new enemies and deadly technology...the universe will never be the same."
Halo development director Frank O'Connor has recently confirmed that the game is done and has been sent to Microsoft for certification. Halo 4 may also mark the Master Chief's final adventure on the Xbox 360, as future installments are rumored to be planned for Microsoft's next Xbox videogame system. The game is set for a worldwide release on November 6, 2012.
The game will also release in two retail versions, the regular and the limited Edition. The special package version will include the 90-minute special edition of "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn," the live-action digital series and bonus digital content including Spartan specializations, armor customization and more.