Nintendo is actively seeking to unmask the person behind the significant Pokemon leak dubbed the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak" from last year. The company has filed a request for a subpoena from a California court, aiming to compel Discord to disclose the identity of the user known as "GameFreakOUT." According to reports from Polygon, the subpoena seeks the name, address, phone number, and email address of this individual. In October of the previous year, GameFreakOUT allegedly shared copyright-protected artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related materials on a Discord server named "FreakLeak," which subsequently spread widely across the internet.
Although not officially confirmed, the leaked materials are believed to have originated from a data breach that Game Freak disclosed in October, after it occurred 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, and Game Freak's statement, which was backdated to October 10, appeared the following day but only mentioned the employee data breach, not the leak of confidential company materials.
The "FreakLeak" revealed a wealth of information, including unannounced projects, cut content, background details, and early builds of various Pokemon games. Among the leaks were details about "Pokemon Champions," a battle-focused game announced in February, and verified information about "Pokemon Legends: Z-A." Additionally, the leak included 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 subpoena suggests a strong intent to identify and possibly prosecute the individual responsible. Given Nintendo's history of aggressively pursuing legal action against piracy and patent infringement, it's likely that if the subpoena is granted, legal proceedings may follow soon after.
