Nintendo Victim of Major Leak. 1 TB of Data Stolen from Pokemon Series Creators

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the recent data leak at Game Freak is nothing short of a catastrophic blow to the gaming community. Having grown up with the Pokemon series, I’ve been an ardent follower and fan of this beloved franchise since its inception. The idea that sensitive information about the studio, their employees, and emerging projects has been leaked online is disheartening, to say the least.


In a major cyber attack, the creators behind the Pokemon series experienced a massive data breach. A hacker successfully swiped approximately 1 Terabyte of data from Game Freak, with some of the stolen information already leaked to the public.

Initially, it was expected that the data breach would happen in August 2024, but it’s just been discovered recently that the incident actually took place, with the developer acknowledging the data theft by publishing a statement about it online.

Switch 2 and 1 TB of Pokemon data

In its statement, the studio primarily addressed the leaked employee data, yet it was not this aspect that ignited the most intense emotions (and debates). The leak encompasses details not only about over 2.6 thousand Game Freak employees and their previous games, primarily the 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation Pokemon games, but also about upcoming projects. This news has been widely circulated on social media through groups like CentroLeaks and PokeLeaks, with all collected information being compiled on Pokeos.

Indeed, among the information available online, it was unveiled as the secret name for the new Nintendo console (Project Ounce). This platform is intended to host the 10th generation of Pokemon games, which had been referred to in the leak as Project Gaia. Additionally, there’s a hint of Synapse, an MMO-style game jointly developed with another studio that seems to be part of the lineup.

The subsequent discussion encompasses details on third to fifth generation Pokémon games, featuring captivating creature designs that can be quite chilling, yet somewhat questionable in certain aspects.

Discretion from A-Z

Typically, fans find themselves at odds regarding the recent leak. Naturally, enthusiasts of “pocket monsters” are captivated, as “Teraleak” (a nickname some players gave to this event) reveals insights into the development process and the backstory of the Pokemon universe, enriching its world lore.

Despite the recent goodwill Game Freak and Nintendo have earned from fans due to their decision to extend development time for the upcoming Pokemon games, this latest leak is at least as significant as the 2020 incident, known as “Gigaleak” – one of the biggest leaks in video game history. This unfortunate event comes at a time when players were already anticipating improved quality from the X-generation games, following Nintendo’s promises and initial indications shown in Scarlet / Violet duo.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve got to say, what we’ve uncovered so far is just the tip of the iceberg. Ever since that leak surfaced, fans have been unearthing materials from the 6th generation Pokemon games and new feature films. But ZA might have fallen into the wrong hands, thanks to a hacker (rumored via Reddit). If the Grand Theft Auto VI leak took a toll on Rockstar’s employees, then this “Teraleak” has left Game Freak’s developers reeling. It’s safe to assume that the talk about “strengthening security measures” post-August break-in is a direct response to this situation.

Indeed, the hacker had declared that he would not reveal too much about the studio’s upcoming games (apart from what also relates to the anime series), but even without this, Game Freak has no reasons to be satisfied.

Employee targeted by Nintendo ninja?

What caused the data breach at Game Freak? While we don’t have confirmed details yet, it appears that one of their employees may have fallen for a phishing scam, using his work email on unrelated sites. Some online users and journalists hypothesize that there were actually two separate intrusions – an initial break-in in August that led to a larger data theft in October, which could account for the approximately 2-month gap between events and the recent leak of information.

A large number of enthusiasts, some jokingly and others genuinely, stand in solidarity with the employee who, as per an old internet joke, was said to be pursued by the “Nintendo ninja” teams. Although it turned out that his employer was lenient, the developer likely didn’t have a smooth or peaceful beginning to the week.

Read More

2024-10-14 12:33