UPDATE: Game Freak has released a statement confirming that the company suffered a data breach in August 2024.

The company said its server was accessed illegally, with names and email addresses of current, former and contract employees accessed in 2,606 cases. The Japanese language statement is dated October 10, 2024 and does not mention any Pokémon data that has surfaced since then.

In the statement, Game Freak apologized to everyone affected by the data breach and insisted that the vulnerability underlying the hack has since been remedied.

ORIGINAL STORY: Pokémon developer Game Freak reportedly suffered a significant hack that resulted in the leak of stolen data, including codenames for 10th generation Pokémon games and even the Nintendo Switch 2.

As Nintendo Life reports, the leaked data includes the codename of Nintendo's next-gen console (allegedly “Ounce”), the codename of the unannounced 10th generation Pokémon game (allegedly “Gaia”) and the codename of the announced Pokémon Legends : ZA (“Ikkaku”).

Neither Nintendo nor The Pokémon Company have issued a statement on the leaks. IGN has reached out to both for comment. (UPDATE: The Pokémon Company has now issued a statement above.)

The codenames for two versions of the 10th generation Pokémon game are part of the leak (“K” and “N”), which may be related to Nintendo's intention to release it as a cross-gen title for both the Switch and its sequel. According to Nintendo Life, “Ounce” is named as the target platform.

A Pokémon game codenamed “Synapse” is also reportedly mentioned. This unannounced game is said to be co-developed with another studio, with some reports suggesting that it is some kind of Pokémon MMO.

Elsewhere, the source code for DS titles Pokémon HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black 2 and White 2 has reportedly been leaked, leading to stolen unused Pokémon assets and even game music surfacing online.

Outside of the games themselves, there is plot information on an unreleased sequel to the 2019 Detective Pikachu film, rumored to be called The Great Detective Pikachu. This film is reportedly directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“The Kings of Summer,” “Kong: Skull Island”) and is scheduled to hit theaters in 2024. Therefore, it is unclear what happened to it. In fact, there is evidence that a trilogy of live-action Pokémon films was once considered, with the third apparently centered on the Game Boy.

The data also includes everything from emailed meeting summaries to information about Pokémon history, including a mention of a previously unannounced live-action Pokémon show from Netflix.

This Pokémon leak brings back memories of the infamous Nintendo “Gigaleak” of 2020, where previously unknown canceled games, prototypes, source code, development tools and internal communications were revealed as part of what was then the largest leak of internal video game information ever released.

Nintendo has yet to reveal its next-gen console, dubbed the Switch 2 by the community, ahead of an official announcement. Last month, alleged prototype images of the Switch successor surfaced online. Nintendo has not yet commented on the images.

What we have are Developers say they plan to release their upcoming games on the Switch 2. When Switch 2 finally comes out, Nintendo assumes that there is enough stock availablewhich in turn will hopefully combat scalping.

As for Pokémon, Pokémon Legends: ZA has a vague release window of 2025, with Nintendo saying it's coming to “Nintendo Switch systems.” This sentence sparked speculation that Pokémon Legends: ZA will also be released for Switch 2.

Fans can expect one of the longest breaks between major Pokémon releases in the history of the franchise. Since there are no mainline entries released this year and there is no news about a remake, that is Pokémon trading card game on mobile will be the biggest series release in 2024.

Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].