Nintendo Seeks Discord Subpoena Over Pokemon "TeraLeak"

Nintendo is taking legal action by requesting a subpoena from a California court to compel Discord to disclose the identity of the individual behind last year's significant Pokemon leak, referred to as the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak". 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 allegedly posted copyrighted artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related materials to a Discord server named "FreakLeak" last October, leading to widespread distribution across the internet.

Although not officially confirmed, the leaked materials are believed to have stemmed from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, which occurred in August. The breach involved unauthorized access to the names 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 without referencing other confidential company materials.

The materials leaked included details of unannounced projects, cut content, and early builds of various Pokemon games. Notably, the leak revealed "Pokemon Champions," an upcoming battle-focused game announced in February, and contained accurate information about "Pokemon Legends: Z-A," along with unverified details about the next generation of Pokemon, source code for DS Pokemon titles, meeting summaries, and excised lore from "Pokemon Legends: Arceus" and other titles.

While Nintendo has not yet initiated legal action against the hacker or leaker, the subpoena suggests an intent to identify the culprit, potentially leading to litigation. Known for its rigorous legal stance against piracy and patent infringement, Nintendo is likely to pursue further action if the subpoena is granted.