Nintendo Subpoenas Discord to Identify User Behind Pokemon "TeraLeak"

Nintendo is actively seeking a subpoena from a California court to compel Discord to reveal the identity behind the massive Pokemon leak known as the "FreakLeak" or the "TeraLeak." This legal action targets a Discord user named "GameFreakOUT," who is alleged to have shared copyright-protected Pokemon content, including artwork, characters, source code, and other materials, on a Discord server called "FreakLeak" last October. Following the initial leak, these materials were rapidly disseminated across the internet.

Although not officially confirmed, the leaked content is believed to have originated from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, which occurred back 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, while Game Freak's statement was released the next day, retroactively dated to October 10, and it only addressed the breach of employee data without mentioning any other confidential materials.

The materials that were leaked included details on several unannounced projects, cut content, and other background information, as well as early builds of various Pokemon games. A notable revelation from the leak was information about "Pokemon Champions," a battle-focused Pokemon game officially announced in February. Additionally, the leak contained accurate information about the upcoming "Pokemon Legends: Z-A," along with unverified 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 suggests they are intent on identifying the individual responsible. Given Nintendo's history of aggressive legal action against piracy and patent infringement, should the subpoena be granted, it may only be a matter of time before further legal proceedings are pursued.