Someone has managed to get their hands on the hottest video game of 2016 a week before it's actually released

A Reddit user claims to have paid $1,300 (£982) for an advance copy of "No Man's Sky," the upcoming videogame from British games studio Hello Games, Ars Technica reports.

"No Man's Sky" is one of the most anticipated games of 2016, thanks in large part to the promise of a virtually unlimited amount of places to go and things to do.

The game is set in a virtual galaxy with billions of planets, and players are encouraged to explore areas that other players have never been to.

It's so hotly anticipated, in fact, that Reddit user Daymeeuhn allegedly paid for an advance copy of the game. He posted a 24-minute video of the start of the game on video site DailyMotion on Friday before the video was taken down.

Hello Games CEO Sean Murray seemingly confirmed the leak on Twitter on Friday, tweeting that he didn't want fans to spoil the game for themselves.

"No Man's Sky" has picked up some celebrity fans whilst it was still in development. Both Elon Musk and Kanye West have expressed a curiosity in the game.