Nintendo is seeking a court order in California to compel Discord to disclose the identity of the individual behind last year's massive Pokémon leak, referred to as the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak."
As reported by Polygon based on court filings, Nintendo has asked the court to require Discord to provide the name, address, phone number, and email address of a user named "GameFreakOUT." In October of last year, this user allegedly shared copyrighted artwork, character designs, source code, and other Pokémon-related materials on a Discord server titled "FreakLeak," which subsequently spread across the internet.
While not officially confirmed, the leaked content is believed to originate from a data breach that Game Freak reported in October, though it occurred back in August. According to Game Freak, the breach exposed information of 2,606 current, former, and contract employees. Interestingly, the leaked files surfaced online on October 12, while Game Freak's statement appeared the next day, dated October 10, and did not mention the exposure of confidential company materials beyond personnel data.
The leaked files included numerous unannounced projects, along with canceled content, development assets, and early builds of various Pokémon games. Notably, the leak revealed Pokémon Champions, an upcoming battle-focused title, before its official announcement in February. It also contained accurate details about the then-unannounced Pokémon Legends: Z-A, as well as unverified information about the next generation of Pokémon games, source code for several DS Pokémon titles, meeting notes, and removed lore from Pokémon Legends: Arceus and other titles.
Nintendo has not yet filed a lawsuit against any hacker or leaker in this case. However, the subpoena request suggests the company is attempting to identify the responsible party with the intent of taking legal action. Known for aggressively pursuing legal remedies in cases of piracy and intellectual property infringement, Nintendo may soon move forward if the court grants its request.
