Nintendo Seeks Discord Subpoena in Pokemon "TeraLeak" Probe

Nintendo is actively pursuing legal action to uncover the identity behind last year's significant Pokemon leak, dubbed the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak". The company is seeking a subpoena from a California court that, if successful, would compel Discord to disclose personal information about the individual operating under the username "GameFreakOUT". According to court documents reported by Polygon, Nintendo wants to obtain the name, address, phone number, and email address of this user.

Last October, "GameFreakOUT" allegedly shared copyright-protected artwork, characters, source code, and other Pokemon-related materials on a Discord server named "FreakLeak". These materials quickly spread across the internet. Though not officially confirmed, the leak is believed to be connected to a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, which involved the unauthorized access of 2,606 current, former, and contract employee names in August. Interestingly, the leaked files surfaced online on October 12, followed by Game Freak's statement on October 13, which was backdated to October 10 and only referenced employee data, omitting mention of other confidential company materials.

The materials leaked included details on unannounced projects, cut content, and early builds of various Pokemon games. Among these, the leak revealed information about "Pokemon Champions", a battle-centric game announced in February, and "Pokemon Legends: Z-A", with some of the disclosed details later confirmed to be accurate. Additionally, the leak contained information on 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 initiate a lawsuit against any hacker or leaker directly, the request for a subpoena suggests they are working to identify the individual responsible. Known for their stringent legal actions against piracy and patent infringement, Nintendo's pursuit indicates that legal action may follow if the subpoena is granted.