Nintendo Seeks Discord Subpoena in Pokemon "TeraLeak" Probe

Nintendo is actively seeking to uncover the identity behind the massive Pokemon leak known as the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak" from last year. The company is pursuing a subpoena from a California court, which, if granted, would compel Discord to disclose the personal details of the user "GameFreakOUT". According to court documents reported by Polygon, Nintendo aims to obtain the name, address, phone number, and email address of this individual. Last October, "GameFreakOUT" allegedly shared copyright-protected Pokemon content, including artwork, characters, source code, and other materials, on a Discord server named "FreakLeak". This content was subsequently distributed widely across the internet.

While not officially confirmed, the leaked materials are believed to have originated from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October, which occurred 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, followed by Game Freak's statement the next day, which was backdated to October 10 and only mentioned the employee data breach, omitting any reference to leaked company materials.

The "FreakLeak" revealed a plethora of unannounced Pokemon projects, cut content, early builds, and other background information. Among the leaks was the unveiling of "Pokemon Champions", a battle-focused game announced officially in February, and details about "Pokemon Legends: Z-A", which have since been verified. Additionally, the leak included information on the next Pokemon generation, source code for DS Pokemon titles, meeting summaries, and cut lore from "Pokemon Legends: Arceus" and other games.

Although Nintendo has not yet filed a lawsuit against any hacker or leaker, the pursuit of this subpoena suggests a strong intent to identify and possibly take legal action against 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.