Game Freak confirms server breach behind Pokemon TeraLeak data dump

Game Freak, the Japanese studio that develops the Pokemon video games, confirmed on October 10, 2024 that a third party had gained unauthorized access to one of its servers in August 2024 and that employee personal information had been leaked as a result.

The company said the exposure covered 2,606 current and former employees and contractors, with names and company email addresses among the details involved. Game Freak said it would contact affected individuals directly and set up a hotline for anyone it could not reach.

The confirmation followed the appearance of a large cache of internal material online. Files began surfacing on 4chan in early October before spreading to Reddit's r/PokeLeaks community and other forums, where the dump was nicknamed the TeraLeak in reference to the 2020 Nintendo GigaLeak. Reporting described the cache as containing development documents, concept art, source code for older titles such as Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, references to unannounced projects and material said to relate to Nintendo hardware codenames.

Game Freak did not confirm the authenticity or the extent of the game-related material and limited its public statement to the employee data. The company said it had rebuilt and re-inspected the affected server and would strengthen its security measures to prevent a recurrence. Neither the identity of the intruder nor a motive had been established as of the reporting date.