Pokémon developer Game Freak hacked; Decades of data leaks

Game Freak’s “Teraleak” appears to expose nearly 1 terabyte of sensitive Pokémon data, including source code, canceled games, concept art, and unreleased projects. The breach, which affected over 2,600 employees, caused quite a stir in the gaming industry.

Game Freak, the developer behind the Pokémon Franchise has been hit by a massive data breach now referred to as “Teraleak.” The leak revealed hundreds of gigabytes of allegedly stolen sensitive internal data, from early Pokémon games to upcoming projects.

The breach first became public when files began circulating on social media platforms and forums and communities like r/PokeLeaks were filled with content. The material shared includes never-before-seen concept art, development documents and internal files dating back over 25 years.

Game Freak has confirmed the hack (PDF) and said that the names and contact details of 2,606 employees and contractors were exposed. The compromised data reportedly comes from a breach in August 2024, although the leaked content surfaced online in October 2024.

Despite Game Freak’s statement focusing on personal information, the leaked files contain period Pokémon designs black and whiteas well as materials for future publications such as: Pokémon Legends: ZA and the anticipated 10th generation of games codenamed “Gaia.”

The extensive leaks include design documents for the Pokémon anime, unused Pokémon designs, pitches for movie sequels, etc Detective Pikachuand a tech demo for them Nintendo Switch 2Codename “Ounce”.

A moderator on r/PokeLeaks mentioned that the leak contained both legitimate and fake content, making it difficult to verify all the files. However, the key files listed by the leaker include development builds of Pokémon Black 2/White 2Source code for Pokémon Bankand even scrapped projects like a remake of QuintyGame Freak’s first game.

The shared file list contains various development resources, such as: B. Source patch files for Pokémon Black and White 2the full SVN for Pokémon Platinumand even assets Pokémon Go Test setups. Additionally, the leak reveals several codenames for various Game Freak projects, including “Synapse,” an unreleased multiplayer Pokémon game developed with ILCA, and “Gaia,” the sequel to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Internal emails, technical documents and QA builds were also exposed.

At the time of writing, the hackers behind the attack and their motives remain unclear. However, this breach could be one of the biggest leaks in gaming history, comparable to Nintendo’s infamous “Gigaleak” from 2020.

With a wealth of confidential data still being analyzed and more revelations likely to come to light, the full impact of the breach is not yet fully understood. Game Freak is expected to face further consequences as more details emerge.

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