Nintendo is taking legal action to uncover the identity behind last year's significant Pokemon leak, dubbed the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak". The company has requested a subpoena from a California court that, if approved, would compel Discord to disclose the personal information of the user known as "GameFreakOUT". According to court documents reported by Polygon, Nintendo seeks the name, address, phone number, and email address of this individual. In October of the previous year, GameFreakOUT allegedly shared copyright-protected Pokemon content, including artwork, characters, source code, and other materials, on a Discord server named "FreakLeak". These materials subsequently spread widely across the internet.
While not officially confirmed, the leaked materials may have originated from a data breach at Game Freak in August, which was disclosed in October. This breach compromised the personal data of 2,606 current, former, and contract employees. Interestingly, the leaked files surfaced online on October 12, and Game Freak's statement, dated October 10 but released the following day, did not mention any confidential company materials beyond employee information.
The leaked content included details on unannounced projects, cut content, background information, and early builds of various Pokemon games. Notably, it revealed information about "Pokemon Champions", a battle-focused game announced in February, and "Pokemon Legends: Z-A", with some of the leaked details later proven accurate. The leak also contained information on the next generation of Pokemon, source code for DS Pokemon titles, meeting summaries, and cut lore from "Pokemon Legends: Arceus" and other games.
Although Nintendo has not yet initiated legal proceedings against any hacker or leaker, the subpoena suggests the company is actively seeking to identify the individual responsible. Known for its rigorous legal actions against piracy and patent infringement, Nintendo may pursue further legal action if the subpoena is granted.
