Nintendo is seeking a subpoena from a California court to compel Discord to disclose 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 aims to obtain the name, address, phone number, and email address of the Discord user "GameFreakOUT." This user is alleged to have shared copyrighted Pokemon content, including artwork, characters, source code, and other materials, on a Discord server named "FreakLeak" last October. These materials were subsequently spread widely across the internet.
Though not officially confirmed, the leaked content likely originated from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, which followed an August incident. The breach compromised the personal information of 2,606 current, former, and contract employees. Interestingly, the leaked files surfaced online on October 12, with Game Freak's statement appearing the next day but dated back to October 10. This statement did not mention any leaked confidential company materials beyond employee data.
The leaked materials revealed details about several unannounced projects, including cut content, background information, and early builds of various Pokemon games. Notably, the leak exposed information about Pokemon Champions, an upcoming battle-focused game announced in February, and Pokemon Legends: Z-A, with some details later confirmed. The leak also included 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 an effort to identify the person responsible. Given Nintendo's history of aggressive legal action against piracy and patent infringement, granting the subpoena could lead to further legal action.
