Nintendo Pursues Discord Subpoena in Pokemon "TeraLeak" Investigation

Nintendo is seeking a court order from a California judge to compel Discord to reveal the identity of the individual responsible for last year's significant Pokemon data leak, dubbed the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak".

According to legal filings reported by Polygon, Nintendo is requesting that Discord disclose the name, address, phone number, and email of a user known as "GameFreakOUT". Last October, GameFreakOUT allegedly shared copyrighted artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related materials on a Discord server named "FreakLeak", which subsequently spread widely online.

While unconfirmed, the leaked materials likely stem from a data breach Game Freak reported in October, following an August incident. According to Game Freak, the breach exposed the names of 2,606 current, former, and contract employees. Curiously, leaked files surfaced online on October 12, with Game Freak's statement, backdated to October 10, appearing the next day, addressing only employee data and omitting mention of other sensitive company materials.

The leak revealed several unannounced projects, including cut content, early builds of Pokemon games, and details about Pokemon Champions, a battle-focused title officially announced in February. It also included verified information about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, unconfirmed details about the next Pokemon generation, source code for DS-era Pokemon games, meeting notes, and unused lore from Pokemon Legends: Arceus and other titles.

Nintendo has not yet initiated legal action against any hacker or leaker, but the subpoena suggests the company is working to identify the culprit for potential litigation. Given Nintendo's history of aggressively pursuing legal action against piracy and patent violations, a lawsuit may be imminent if the subpoena is approved.