Nintendo is currently seeking a subpoena from a California court, aiming to uncover the identity of the individual behind the significant Pokemon leak known as the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak" from last year. According to court documents reported by Polygon, Nintendo is pushing for Discord to reveal the personal details, including the name, address, phone number, and email address of a user known as "GameFreakOUT". This user is accused of posting copyright-protected materials, such as artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related content to a Discord server named "FreakLeak" last October, leading to widespread distribution across the internet.
Though not officially confirmed, the leaked materials are believed to have originated from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in August, which involved the unauthorized access of 2,606 current, former, and contract employee names. Interestingly, the leaked files surfaced online on October 12, and Game Freak's statement, backdated to October 10, was released the following day, yet it only addressed the breach of employee information and did not mention other confidential materials.
The leaked content included details on several unannounced projects, cut content, background information, and early builds of various Pokemon games. Notably, the leak revealed "Pokemon Champions," a battle-focused game announced officially in February, and provided accurate information on "Pokemon Legends: Z-A," as well as unverified details on the next Pokemon generation. Additionally, it contained source code for DS Pokemon titles, meeting summaries, and cut lore from "Pokemon Legends: Arceus" and other titles.
While Nintendo has not yet initiated legal action against any hacker or leaker, the request for a subpoena suggests a strong intent to identify and possibly pursue legal action against the person responsible. Given Nintendo's history of aggressive legal action against piracy and patent infringement, it seems likely that further legal steps will follow if the subpoena is granted.
