Huge Pokémon leak as developer Game Freak claims servers hacked

Game Freak, the leading Pokémon game developer, suffered a serious data breach. Employees’ personal information was published online, along with a huge amount of Pokémon documentation, including the source code for full versions of previous games.

In a statement, Game Freak said the leak was the result of “unauthorized access to our servers by a third party” and apologized for the disclosure of more than 2,600 pieces of personal data. The breach occurred in August 2024 and the affected server had already been rebuilt.

Information obtained from the leaked files began appearing widely on Saturday and Sunday, and Game Freak’s statement surfaced online on Sunday. However, the statement is dated Thursday, October 10. The statement addresses the leak of personal employee data but does not mention the disclosure of confidential gaming data.

“Game Freak… discovered that personal information of our employees and others was disclosed in connection with unauthorized access to our servers by a third party in August 2024,” the studio’s statement read (via automatic translation). “We sincerely apologize for the great inconvenience and worry this has caused everyone involved.”

Game Freak said it was contacting affected employees individually. “We have already rebuilt and re-inspected the server and will work to prevent this from happening again by further strengthening our security measures,” the statement said.

Polygon has contacted The Pokémon Company for comment. Game Freak is one of three Pokémon players, alongside Nintendo and Creatures Inc., the game’s developer. Pokémon Trading Card Game.