Game Freak has issued a statement confirming the company suffered a data breach to their server in August 2024. The hack reveals codenames for 10th-generation Pokémon games and even the Nintendo Switch 2.
Employee Names
Representatives stated that the server was illegally accessed, with over 2,606 cases of current, former, and contract names of employees along with emails. In the statement, Game Freak issued a huge apology to all those affected by the data breach, insisting the vulnerability that was at the heart of the attack has been remediated.
Unannounced games and Nintendo Switch 2
According to Nintendo Life, the data leak includes the codename of Nintendo’s next-gen console (allegedly called “Ounce”), the codename of the unannounced 10th-gen Pokémon game (allegedly called “Gaia”), and the codename of Pokémon Legends: Z-A (“Ikkaku”).
- Read more: Every Confirmed Pokémon for Legends Z-A
The codenames for the two versions of the 10th generation Pokémon games are part of the leak (“N” and “K”) which relate to Nintendo’s intention to release the titles for both the current Switch and its successor as a cross-gen title. Nintendo Life reported that “Ounce” is the target platform.
Pokémon MMO
A Pokémon game entitled “Synapse” is also reportedly mentioned, and said to be co-developed with another studio, with some reports indicating it is some kind of Pokémon MMO.
Source Code
In addition, source code for the classic DS titles Pokémon HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black 2, and White 2 have leaked, resulting in stolen unused assets and game music emerging online.
Films
There is also plot information relating to the unreleased sequel to 2019’s Detective Pikachu movie, allegedly called The Great Detective Pikachu. This film was reportedly directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island, The Kings of Summer), with a planned release for 2024. It remains unclear what has become of it. There is substantial evidence to suggest that a trilogy of live-action Pokémon films was at the very least considered, with a third revolving around the Game Boy. However, the first live-action Pokémon series involving the Game Boy was released as an exclusive Japanese drama and aired from October to December 2023, called Poketsume.
Other leaked info includes corporate emails, Pokémon lore information, and an unannounced Pokémon live-action show for Netflix.
If you’re a die-hard fan of the gotta-catch-em-all franchise, check out our list of the best creature-collecting games other than Pokémon.