Nintendo is currently seeking a subpoena from a California court, which, if approved, would compel Discord to disclose the identity of the individual behind the significant Pokemon leak referred to as the "FreakLeak" or the "TeraLeak." According to court documents reported by Polygon, Nintendo wants Discord to reveal the name, address, phone number, and email address of the user "GameFreakOUT." This user allegedly shared copyrighted artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related materials on a Discord server named "FreakLeak" last October, leading to widespread distribution across the internet.
Although not officially confirmed, the leaked content likely stemmed from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, following an incident in August. Game Freak reported that the breach involved 2,606 instances of accessed employee data, including current, former, and contract workers. Interestingly, the leaked files surfaced online on October 12, and Game Freak's statement, backdated to October 10, was released the following day. This statement did not mention any confidential company materials beyond employee information.
The materials that were leaked encompassed a range of unannounced projects, cut content, background information, and early builds of various Pokemon games. Notably, the leak revealed details about "Pokemon Champions," a battle-centric Pokemon game announced in February, and provided accurate information about "Pokemon Legends: Z-A." It also included unverified details about the next generation of Pokemon, source code for DS Pokemon titles, meeting summaries, and cut lore from "Pokemon Legends: Arceus" and other games.
While Nintendo has not yet initiated legal action against any hacker or leaker, the subpoena suggests a strong intent to identify and possibly sue the person responsible. Given Nintendo's history of aggressive legal action against piracy and patent infringement, it is probable that further legal steps will be taken if the subpoena is granted.
