Pokemon developer Game Freak suffers major data breach – report

Game Freak, the renowned developer of the Pokemon video game series, has experienced a major data breach, dubbed “teraleak”. This breach has resulted in the exposure of substantial employee records and information about upcoming projects. Recent reports indicate that a large amount of data has been made available to the public, allegedly taken from the Game Freak studios. While details about the hacking incident and the perpetrators have not been revealed, fans are now poring over the leaked information for new insights into the future of Pokemon, including details about upcoming movies.

According to ComicBook, Pokemon is working on ideas for its 24th movie, which is codenamed Bauer. Production on the film originally began in 2021 with no development so far. It was destined to fall; however, the release was pushed back indefinitely. Following the latest leak, fans got their hands on a rough synopsis of the Pokemon movie, which is said to be “darker.” Set in modern Kanto, the film will feature Mew as the main mythical creature. It would tell the story of Light and Akari, who navigate the challenges of adolescence, including cyberbullying and suicidal thoughts.

The general idea was to reboot the Pokemon universe to capture the attention of fans with a dark twist. This also indicates an intense story compared to the first film, Pokemon: The First Movie. However, with no clear path forward yet, all bets on the film are off.

Other Pokemon leaks

In another major revelation from the leak, Pokemon Legends ZA is apparently targeting a 2025 release after its original 2024 window was pushed back. There were several mentions in the Gen 10 games, codenamed Gaia, K and N for various versions. On the other hand, Nintendo’s Switch 2 has been codenamed Ounce, followed by an unannounced game spin-off codenamed Synapse.

While no official announcements have yet been made about these movies and games, Game Freak has apologized for the leaks, saying, “Game Freak Inc. has discovered that personal information of employees and other in relation to unauthorized access to our server by a third party in August 2024. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused to all involved,” as quoted by CBR.