Nintendo Subpoenas Discord to Identify User Behind Pokemon "TeraLeak"

Nintendo is reportedly seeking a subpoena from a California court that could compel Discord to disclose the personal information of an individual suspected of involvement in last year's widespread Pokémon data leak, commonly referred to as the "FreakLeak" or "TeraLeak." According to documents reviewed and shared by Polygon, Nintendo is asking the court to require Discord to provide details such as the name, address, phone number, and email address of a user known under the alias "GameFreakOUT."

This user allegedly shared copyright-protected materials—including artwork, character assets, source code, and other proprietary content—on a Discord server named "FreakLeak" back in October of the previous year. These files were later disseminated widely across the internet, causing significant concern for both Nintendo and Game Freak.

Although not officially confirmed, it’s believed these files originated from a data breach disclosed by Game Freak in October of the prior year, though the intrusion itself was said to have occurred in August. According to Game Freak's public statement, the breach involved the unauthorized access of personal data belonging to 2,606 current, former, and contract employees. Interestingly, leaked files began surfacing online on October 12, with the company’s official statement published the next day but dated retroactively to October 10. The statement did not specifically mention the potential exposure of confidential internal game materials beyond employee data.

The leaked archive contained a wealth of sensitive material, including unannounced projects, cut content, early builds, and behind-the-scenes details about various Pokémon games. Among the most notable revelations was "Pokémon Champions," a previously undisclosed battle-centric title that was officially announced only months later in February. Additionally, the leak previewed accurate details about *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*, speculative insights into the next generation of Pokémon species, DS-era game source code, meeting notes, and deleted lore from *Pokémon Legends: Arceus* and other titles in the franchise.

To date, Nintendo has not filed a formal lawsuit against any individual connected to the leak. However, the pursuit of this subpoena indicates that the company may be preparing to take legal action once the responsible party is identified. Given Nintendo's long-standing reputation for aggressively pursuing legal remedies against piracy, leaks, and intellectual property violations, a formal case could very well follow if the subpoena is approved by the court.