Pokémon Manufacturer Game Freak has suffered a massive data breach in which employee information as well as countless details about past games and upcoming sequels were stolen from the developer. Fans are calling the leaked data “Teraleak” as insider reports ponder everything from unused Pokémon skins to the codename for the Switch 2 to the fallout from the malicious hack spreading across the internet.
The unprecedented data breach was discovered over the weekend when the data was leaked online. Pokémon Insider and leak-hunting accounts on social media began combing through the content and reportedly found, among other things, the codename for the Switch 2, “Ounce,” which refers to the Gen 10 Pokémon Games, supposedly codenamed “Gaia”. Pokémon Legends: ZA is the next officially announced game in the series, scheduled for release in 2025. However, some say the leaks suggest that it was originally scheduled for release in winter 2024 before it was postponed. The hacked materials also appear to relate to a project called “Synapse,” which appears to be another unannounced spin-off game.
The leak also reportedly contains a lot of details about upcoming anime series and live-action spin-offs, including plot details for a second Detective Pikachu Movie and references to a possible live-action film codenamed “Game Boy.” The leak also reportedly contains source code for DS games Pokémon HeartGold And Soul Silveras well as Black 2 And White 2. However, most fans will likely spend most of their time in the coming weeks and months dealing with seemingly reams of design documents, internal discussions, and artwork Pokémon Designs that may offer a glimpse into the ultra-secret process behind the games’ development.
Game Freak, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Game Freak, which not only makes the games but also has a stake in the franchise alongside Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, had previously issued a statement on October 10th acknowledging that some employee data had been stolen, but did not mention anything else , which was reportedly a stolen hack that apparently took place in August. As translated by VGCThe studio said that over 2,000 employee data was exposed to “unauthorized access by third parties” and that it was contacting those affected. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or concern this may have caused to everyone involved,” the statement said.
The Game Freak hack follows a series of high-profile data breaches at major gaming companies in recent years, including Cyberpunk 2077 Manufacturer CD Project Red, Spider Man 2 Manufacturer Sleepless gamesAnd Grand Theft Auto VI Manufacturer Rockstar Games. But the scale of what appears to have leaked as part of this attack is impressive the shocking “Gigaleak” from 2020 In the process, tons of old Nintendo development information was published online. The result was the discovery of tons abandoned concepts And canceled gamesand references out of context like a pixel art sprite of Toad smoking a cigarette.
While Nintendo is by no means immune to online leaks, they usually arise from upcoming games that accidentally end up in the public’s hands before release. Early versions of Pokémon Purple And scarlet in the summer of 2022 meant that fans learned a lot about the 9th generation games months before they went on sale. Meanwhile, after a particularly productive period for the successful series, Pokémon seems to be skipping 2024 as there is no new console game this year. A mobile spin-off, Pokémon trading card gamearrives on smartphones later this month.
