Summary
- Game Freak confirmed that it had suffered a massive data breach in August 2024.
- The incident has already led to information about a variety of Pokemon games leaking online, in addition to revealing the potential Switch 2 codename.
- Some fans have labeled the data breach as "Teraleak," describing it as the biggest leak in Pokemon history.
Pokemon developer Game Freak has confirmed that it has suffered a massive data breach that saw hackers steal personally identifiable information of thousands of people, among other sensitive materials. The Japanese studio acknowledged the hack after some Pokemon-related data stolen as part of the breach started leaking online.
While information about Pokemon projects has a tendency to leak on occasion, there has been an uptick in such activity since the beginning of October 2024. Most recently, some new alleged details about the Gen 10 games and an unannounced Pokemon multiplayer title have surfaced online, in addition to other internal materials. The sheer volume of the info dump saw some fans dub it the "Teraleak," in reference to its gargantuan size.
Game Freak Officially Acknowledges Massive Data Breach
Ahead of the latest round of these leaks, Game Freak issued a statement confirming that it had suffered a significant data breach after a malicious party gained unauthorized access to one of its servers. Although the majority of the data compromised as part of the attack only started surfacing online in October, the security breach happened in August 2024. Personally identifiable information of 2,606 people has been compromised as part of the attack, the company said. This data—which includes names, phone numbers, and work email addresses—belongs to current and former Game Freak employees and contractors.
The Tokyo-incorporated group said that it has already undertaken steps to ensure that a breach of this sort doesn't happen again. Aside from employee information, the Teraleak also seemingly revealed the existence of an unannounced Pokemon multiplayer game, in addition to suggesting that the Gen 10 games are internally code-named Gaia. The source code for Pokemon HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black 2, and White 2 has surfaced online as a result of the data breach as well.
Game Freak Hack Possibly Revealed Nintendo Switch 2 Codename
Among other information, the Teraleak has also revealed the potential codename of the Switch 2, which is said to be "Ounce" or "Ounces," depending on the source. This moniker aligns with a guess from controversial Sega leaker Midori, who theorized that the Switch 2 is code-named Ounce back in May 2024.
Given its sheer size, this data breach is already being called the biggest leak in Pokemon history by some fans. Game Freak's October 2024 statement saw the company apologize to its current and former staffers who were affected by the security incident. One of the most surprising revelations that has emerged from the Teraleak so far is the suggestion that Gaia, the 10th-generation Pokemon games, are in development for both the Switch and its successor. This is unexpected because Game Freak historically avoided doing cross-gen releases with mainline entries in the Pokemon franchise.
- Created by
- Satoshi Tajiri
Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.