Nintendo is taking legal action to uncover the identity behind the massive Pokemon leak known as the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak." The company has filed a request for a subpoena from a California court, aiming to compel Discord to disclose the personal information of the user "GameFreakOUT," who allegedly shared the leaked content.
According to court documents reported by Polygon, Nintendo seeks the name, address, phone number, and email address of GameFreakOUT. This individual is accused of posting copyrighted artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related materials to the "FreakLeak" Discord server last October. These materials quickly spread across the internet.
Though not officially confirmed, the leaked content likely originated from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, following its occurrence in August. The breach compromised the personal information of 2,606 current, former, and contract employees. Interestingly, the leaked files surfaced online on October 12, followed by Game Freak's statement the next day, which was backdated to October 10 and only mentioned employee data, omitting any reference to other confidential materials.
The leaked materials revealed numerous unannounced projects, cut content, and other background information, including early builds of various Pokemon games. Among the significant disclosures was "Pokemon Champions," a battle-focused game announced in February. The leak also accurately predicted details about "Pokemon Legends: Z-A" and included unverified information 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 filed a lawsuit against any hacker or leaker, the subpoena suggests they are actively seeking to identify the person responsible. Given Nintendo's history of aggressively pursuing legal action against piracy and patent infringement, it is probable that further legal steps will follow if the subpoena is granted.
