Nintendo Seeks Subpoena for Discord User Behind Pokemon "TeraLeak"

Nintendo is currently seeking a subpoena from a California court to compel Discord to disclose the identity of the individual behind last year's significant Pokemon leak, dubbed the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak." According to reports by Polygon, court documents reveal that Nintendo is requesting detailed personal information including the name, address, phone number, and email address of a Discord user named "GameFreakOUT." This user allegedly shared copyrighted artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related materials in a Discord server called "FreakLeak" last October, leading to their widespread distribution across the internet.

Though not officially confirmed, it is suspected that the leaked content was obtained through a data breach that occurred in August, which Game Freak disclosed in October. The breach reportedly compromised the data 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 the breach of employee information, omitting any mention of other confidential company materials.

The leaked materials revealed numerous unannounced projects, cut content, and other background information, including early builds of various Pokemon games. Notably, the leak disclosed details about "Pokemon Champions," a battle-focused game announced in February, and provided accurate information about the upcoming "Pokemon Legends: Z-A." It also included yet-to-be-verified 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 filed a lawsuit against any hacker or leaker, the subpoena suggests that the company is actively trying to identify the person responsible, likely with the intent to pursue legal action. Given Nintendo's history of aggressively litigating issues related to piracy and patent infringement, should the subpoena be granted, legal action may soon follow.