Nintendo Seeks Discord User Data in Pokemon "TeraLeak" Probe

Mar 05,26

Nintendo is requesting a subpoena from a California court that, if granted, would compel Discord to disclose the identity of the individual behind last year’s massive Pokémon leak, known as the "FreakLeak" or the "TeraLeak."

According to court documents reviewed and reported by Polygon, Nintendo is seeking a court order for Discord to provide the name, address, phone number, and email address of a Discord user identified as "GameFreakOUT." In October of last year, GameFreakOUT allegedly posted copyrighted artwork, character designs, source code, and other Pokémon-related materials to a Discord server named "FreakLeak," after which the contents spread widely online.

PlayThough unconfirmed, the data was likely acquired through a breach in August that Game Freak publicly acknowledged in October. Game Freak stated the breach exposed 2,606 records of current, former, and contract employees. Surprisingly, leaked files began appearing online on October 12, and Game Freak’s official statement was published the next day—but backdated to October 10 and did not reference any confidential corporate materials beyond employee data.

The leaked files revealed multiple unannounced projects, cut content, behind-the-scenes details, and early builds of other Pokémon games. Notably, the leak exposed Pokémon Champions, an upcoming battle-focused Pokémon title, well before its official February announcement. It also contained verified details about the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, along with unconfirmed information on the next generation of Pokémon, source code for various DS-era Pokémon titles, internal meeting summaries, and deleted lore from Pokémon Legends: Arceus and other titles.

Nintendo has not yet filed a lawsuit against any hacker or leaker, but the subpoena suggests the company is actively seeking to identify the responsible party. Given Nintendo’s longstanding history of aggressive legal action against piracy and patent violations, if the subpoena is approved, legal action may be imminent.

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