Nintendo Seeks Subpoena to Identify Discord User Behind Pokemon "TeraLeak"

Nintendo is actively seeking 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 reported by Polygon, Nintendo aims to obtain the name, address, phone number, and email address of the Discord user "GameFreakOUT." This user allegedly posted copyrighted artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related materials to a Discord server named "FreakLeak" last October, leading to widespread distribution across the internet.

Although not officially confirmed, the leaked materials are believed to have originated from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, following the breach in August. The 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 without mentioning any confidential company materials beyond employee data.

The "FreakLeak" revealed a plethora of unannounced projects, including cut content, background information, and early builds of various Pokemon games. Among the leaks was information about "Pokemon Champions," a battle-focused game announced in February, and details about "Pokemon Legends: Z-A," which have since been verified. The leak also included 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 games.

While Nintendo has not yet initiated legal action against any hacker or leaker, the pursuit of this subpoena suggests a strong intent to identify and possibly sue the person responsible. Given Nintendo's history of aggressive legal action against piracy and patent infringement, a successful subpoena could lead to further legal proceedings.