Nintendo is currently seeking a subpoena from a California court that, if successful, would compel Discord to disclose the identity of the individual behind the significant Pokemon data breach known as the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak." According to court documents reviewed by Polygon, Nintendo is aiming to obtain the name, address, phone number, and email address of the Discord user "GameFreakOUT". This user is accused of posting copyrighted Pokemon materials, including artwork, characters, source code, and other content, to a Discord server named "FreakLeak" in October last year. These materials were subsequently spread widely across the internet.
Though not officially confirmed, the leaked materials are believed to have originated from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, after the breach occurred in August. Game Freak reported that 2,606 cases of current, former, and contract employee names were accessed. Interestingly, the leaked files surfaced online on October 12, and Game Freak's statement, which was backdated to October 10 and only mentioned employee information, appeared online the following day.
The leaked content included information on unannounced projects, cut content, and background details from early builds of various Pokemon games. Among the revelations was "Pokemon Champions," a battle-focused game that was officially announced in February following the leak. Additionally, the leak provided accurate information about the upcoming "Pokemon Legends: Z-A," along with yet-to-be-confirmed 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 a specific hacker or leaker, the pursuit of this subpoena indicates their intent to identify and possibly sue the person responsible. Known for their aggressive legal stance on issues ranging from piracy to patent infringement, Nintendo is likely to take further action if the subpoena is granted.
