Nintendo is actively pursuing legal action following last year's significant Pokemon data breach, known as the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak." The company has filed for a subpoena in a California court, aiming to compel Discord to disclose the personal details of the individual behind the leak, identified on the platform as "GameFreakOUT." This user allegedly shared sensitive materials, including copyright-protected artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related content, on a Discord server named "FreakLeak." These materials quickly spread across the internet following their initial posting last October.
Although not officially confirmed, it is believed that the leaked materials were part of a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, which occurred in August. This breach compromised the personal information of 2,606 current, former, and contract employees. Interestingly, the leaked files surfaced online on October 12, with Game Freak issuing a statement the following day, backdated to October 10, that focused solely on the employee data breach without mentioning any other confidential company materials.
The "FreakLeak" exposed a variety of unannounced projects, cut content, and other background details, including early builds of Pokemon games. Among the revelations were details about "Pokemon Champions," a battle-focused game announced in February, and accurate information about the upcoming "Pokemon Legends: Z-A." Additionally, the leak included unverified information about the next generation of Pokemon, source code for various DS Pokemon titles, meeting summaries, and previously cut lore from "Pokemon Legends: Arceus" and other games.
While Nintendo has not yet initiated a lawsuit against any hacker or leaker, the subpoena suggests a strong intent to identify and possibly prosecute the person responsible. Given Nintendo's history of aggressive legal action against piracy and patent infringement, obtaining the subpoena could be a precursor to further legal steps.
