The maker of Pokemon has confirmed it was a victim of a hack that resulted in a substantial data leak that has revealed details about the Nintendo Switch 2, employee personal information, game source code, new games, past projects, Pokemon designs and much more.
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This leak isn’t small by any means, as it’s referred to as the “Teraleak,” and with the more time that passes, more details seemingly emerge. Over three years since the last major Nintendo-related link, Game Freak, the developers of Pokemon, confirmed its databases were breached and the data acquired by the hackers include source code, concept art, placeholder assets, extensive write-ups on the series’ lore, company meetings about possible multimedia adaptations, codenames for future Pokémon titles, and the codename for the Nintendo Switch successor.
The leak is estimated to be approximately 2TB of data, but at the time of reporting only 3GB has been released. Of that 3GB there are 2,606 items containing the names and email addresses of current, former and contract employees. Game Freak stated the hack occurred in August this year. As for the Nintendo Switch successor, the leak revealed the codename for the mysterious console is “Ounce“.
Notably, this will not be the name of the next Nintendo console but is simply the codename used internally. Nintendo hasn’t officially revealed the name of its upcoming console, but it does seem obvious, given the popularity of the Nintendo Switch, that the company’s next console will be a more refined and powerful version called the Nintendo Switch 2. In the past, Nintendo has used codenames. For example, Nintendo referred to the GameCube as “Dolphin” and the Wii as “Revolution“, while the Wii U was called “Project Cafe” and the Switch was “NX“. None of the codenames were indicators for the names of the consoles.
Nintendo officially plans to reveal its next console before the end of the financial year, which technically means anytime before the end of March, 2025.
The leak has made the source code available for multiple Pokémon DS titles, along with revealing the codename “Gaia,” which is reportedly what Gen 10 is being called internally. Additionally, reports indicate that Pokémon Legends: Z-A is being developed for “Ounce“, or the Switch 2.
In other Nintendo news, the company recently spawned some mystery following it, forcing players to be silent about a Nintendo Switch Online playtest scheduled to take place between October 23 and November 5. Participants were required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before being able to download the software.
Notice and apology regarding the leak of personal information following unauthorized access
Game Freak Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Satoshi Tajiri; hereinafter referred to as “our company”) has discovered that personal information of employees and others was leaked in connection with unauthorized access to our server by a third party in August 2024. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused to all involved.
1. Leaked personal information
Personal data regarding our employees, etc.
Items: Name, company email address
Number of items: 2,606,
*Our employees and contract workers (including former employees and ex-employees)
2. Responses to individuals whose personal information has been leaked
We are contacting the affected employees individually. For those who cannot be contacted individually due to resignation or other reasons, we will notify them through this announcement and set up a contact point to respond to inquiries regarding this matter.
3. Measures to prevent recurrence
We have already rebuilt and inspected the server, and will strive to prevent recurrence by further strengthening our security measures.
4. Inquiries regarding this matter
If you are affected by this matter, please contact the following office for inquiries:
[Inquiry form]
– responded Game Freak