Nintendo Seeks Discord User Data in Pokemon 'TeraLeak' Investigation

Nintendo has taken legal action by requesting a subpoena from a California court to compel Discord to disclose the identity of the individual behind the significant Pokemon leak known as the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak." According to court documents reviewed by Polygon, Nintendo aims to obtain the name, address, phone number, and email address of the Discord user "GameFreakOUT," who allegedly shared copyrighted Pokemon content, including artwork, characters, source code, and other materials, on a Discord server called "FreakLeak" last October. These materials subsequently spread widely across the internet.

While not officially confirmed, it's believed that the leaked materials originated from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in August, which they announced the following October. The breach compromised 2,606 records of current, former, and contract employees. Interestingly, the leaked files surfaced online on October 12, and Game Freak's statement, which appeared the next day, was backdated to October 10. This statement did not mention any confidential company materials beyond employee information.

The "FreakLeak" revealed several unannounced projects, including cut content, background information, and early builds of various Pokemon games. Notably, it disclosed details about the upcoming battle-focused game "Pokemon Champions," which was officially announced in February, as well as accurate information about "Pokemon Legends: Z-A." Additionally, the leak contained unverified information about the next generation of Pokemon, source code for DS Pokemon titles, meeting summaries, and cut lore from "Pokemon Legends: Arceus" and other titles.

Although Nintendo has not yet filed a lawsuit against a hacker or leaker, the subpoena suggests they are actively seeking to identify the person responsible. Given Nintendo's history of being highly litigious regarding issues like piracy and patent infringement, it is likely that legal action may follow if the subpoena is granted.