Nintendo Subpoenas Discord to Identify User Behind Pokemon "TeraLeak"

Nintendo is taking legal action to uncover the identity of the individual behind last year's significant Pokemon leak, referred to as the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak." The company is seeking a subpoena from a California court that, if granted, would compel Discord to disclose personal information about a user known as "GameFreakOUT." This user allegedly shared copyrighted artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related materials on a Discord server named "FreakLeak" last October, leading to widespread distribution across the internet.

Though not officially confirmed, the leaked content is believed to have originated from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, which occurred 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, and Game Freak's statement, which was backdated to October 10, appeared the following day, mentioning only the employee data breach and not any confidential company materials.

The materials that were leaked included details on unannounced projects, cut content, and other background information, including early builds of various Pokemon games. Among the revelations was information about "Pokemon Champions," a battle-focused game announced officially in February, and "Pokemon Legends: Z-A," with details that have since been verified. The leak also contained unverified information about the next generation of Pokemon, source code for DS Pokemon titles, meeting summaries, and previously unseen lore from "Pokemon Legends: Arceus" and other titles.

While Nintendo has yet to file a lawsuit against any hacker or leaker, the pursuit of the subpoena suggests an intent to identify and possibly prosecute the person 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 action is taken.