"Pokémon" development studio hacked - information on new games, series and Switch successor game leaked

Unauthorised persons used social engineering to gain access to the servers of the "Pokémon" development studio Game Freak over the weekend. Around one terabyte of data was stolen. It is one of the biggest hacks in video game history. New information is still being published on various social networks several days after the hack and discussed.

Source codes, design documents and discarded stories for past games

Through the hack, the cybercriminals gained access to source codes for the DS games "Pokémon Heartgold / Soulsilver", "Pokémon Black / White" and "Pokémon Black 2 / White 2" as well as the 3DS spin-off "Pokémon X / Y".

The stolen data also includes hundreds of unreleased artworks, pieces of music and prototypes of unused Pokémon. Also included are beta builds of "Pokémon X / Y" and "Pokémon Black / White" with various unused test maps and characters.

Various discarded story documents have also been published. One story featuring "Tornupto" is particularly bizarre and is being hotly debated on social networks. In this story, the fire Pokémon pretends to be human and "seduces" a woman. She then gives birth to a child that is half human and half Pokémon.

The squid Pokémon "Octillery" and the sloth "Muntier" are mentioned in similar Pokémon-human hybrid stories. It is unclear what these story sketches were written for.

Information on new games

The stolen data not only contains information on past "Pokémon" projects, but also on future ones. The new "Pokémon" generation is being internally marketed by Game Freak under the name "Gaia" and will feature a game world full of small islands. Many fans suspect that this could indicate a Greek setting. According to leaks, the game is in development for the Switch 2 and the current Switch. The Switch 2 is codenamed "Ounce". The hackers claim to be in possession of the source code for the current build of the game.

Also in development is a new, unannounced multiplayer game codenamed "Synapse". Contrary to initial reports, however, it is not an MMO. In the documents, the game is compared to Nintendo's multiplayer shooter "Splatoon".

The previously announced "Pokémon Legends: Z-A" will be released early next year only for the current Switch and not for the Switch 2. When the first trailer was released, many fans speculated that it could be a Switch 2 title.

The hackers also claim to have a playable PC build of "Pokémon Legends: Z-A". However, they do not plan to release more information about the game.

Information on new film and series projects

According to the leak, not only are new games planned for "Pokémon", but also new series and films. The animated film with the internal name "Project Bauer" is intended to represent a "grown-up" new beginning for the "Pokémon" film universe and deal with serious topics. Only the original 151 Pokémon will appear in the reboot. Development of the project has been stuck since 2021, the current status is unknown.

A sequel to Ryan Reynolds' blockbuster "Detective Pikachu" was also leaked. It is unclear whether the project with the name "The Great Detective Pikachu" has since been cancelled. The hackers claim that they are in possession of important plot details. In addition, another live-action film under the codename "Game Boy" was planned as the conclusion of the trilogy.

In the series area, there is also to be a reboot with twelve episodes with "Project Reload". There are also plans for a live-action series on Netflix under the codename "Project Discovery" - currently for eight episodes, with the prospect of up to five seasons. This would not be the first collaboration between the Pokémon Company and Netflix. The stop-motion project "Pokémon Concièrge" was released just last year.

This is what Game Freak says

Game Freak has confirmed the hack in an official letter. In it, however, they only address the approximately 2600 names and email addresses of current and former employees that were also stolen. The company has not yet commented on the sensitive information relating to the various "Pokémon" projects.

The Game Freak hack is not an isolated incident. Video game companies are repeatedly targeted by cyber criminals. Just last year, the Sony studio Insomniac was hit by a massive hacker attack. Even Rockstar was not spared in 2022 - over 90 videos of "GTA VI" were published in one of the biggest leaks in gaming history. Nintendo was also hit by the so-called "Gigaleak" in 2020. Among other things, source codes for consoles, tech demos and emulators were stolen in this leak.