Massive Pokemon data leak reveals future plans and character designs
What's the story
Game Freak, the famed developer of the beloved Pokemon franchise, has confirmed a major data breach. The incident led to a massive trove of internal materials related to the franchise being leaked online. The compromised information includes source codes, early character designs, and details of future projects. The company learned its servers were hacked back in August and that sensitive employee data had also been exposed.
Information leak
Leaked materials reveal future Pokemon projects
The leaked materials, which fans have dubbed the "Teraleak" files, were initially shared on social media platforms Reddit and X by Centro Leaks. They contain source codes for older games such as Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. They also reveal codenames for the Switch 2 and upcoming Gen 10 Pokemon games—Ounce and Gaia, respectively. References to an under-development Pokemon MMO were also found within these documents.
Movie leak
Unreleased Detective Pikachu sequel details leaked
The "Teraleak" files also include details of the upcoming Detective Pikachu sequel and other Pokemon movies in the pipeline. They even hint at a new anime series in the works. The scale of this data breach is huge, with several beta character designs and concept art being leaked along with the source codes. So far, neither The Pokemon Company nor its parent entity Nintendo has publicly acknowledged the leak.
Apology
Game Freak apologizes and promises stronger security measures
In the wake of the breach, Pokemon developer Game Freak has apologized to those affected. The company confirmed that the unauthorized third-party accessed personal information of over 2,600 current and former employees. It also said that it is taking steps to strengthen its security in order to prevent such incidents in the future.