A couple of years ago, the source code for various Pokémon games was leaked online. This included the Spaceworld 2001 demo for Pokémon Gold and Silver, as well as betas and development builds of games from generations 1, 3 and 4.
It was a big deal at the time, and one which significantly increased the community’s understanding of the series and its development history.
And now it seems history might be repeating itself. Why? Because according to various sources online (like Nintendeal and Centro Leaks), another major hack has hit the Pokémon Company and Game Freak. This has resulted in numerous development materials leaking online, including source code for Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver and Pokémon Black 2/White 2.
Here’s a tweet from Nintendeal about the whole affair:
massive Game Freak leak happening right now including source code for Pokémon HG/SS and BW2
along with the Pokémon leaks is further confirmation that Switch 2's internal codename is indeed Ounces
I will not be posting links or images, sorry
— Nintendeal (@Nintendeal) October 12, 2024
As well as a post by Centro Leaks:
Game Freak has been hacked. This is a new leak like the gigaleak from Nintendo from a few years ago. It has multiple Gigabytes of info.
It includes source code and beta builds of HGSS and BW2. pic.twitter.com/WIZjyuwYuY
— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 12, 2024
And topics on ResetEra, Famiboards and Reddit, where the information is slowly being shared.
There’s some seriously intriguing information being shared here too. Like say, codenames for both released and unreleased Pokémon games:
- Sudachi – Area Zero DLC
- Ikkaku – Pokemon Legends: ZA
- Gaia – Unannounced Gen 10 games
- Synapse – Unreleased multiplayer battle title
With certain sources even implying the latter could be a full-blown MMO. Yup, there’s finally a real possibility of a Pokémon MMO, and one may actually be in development right now.
Here’s some additional proof on that, courtesy of Centro Leaks on Twitter.
Pokémon MMO IN DEVELOPMENT? https://t.co/fppd5FiiA6 pic.twitter.com/WRQN0HuGrp
— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 12, 2024
What’s more, it seems the Switch 2 might have been leaked in some sense too. Why? Because according to people who’ve seen the files, the console is apparently referred to with the codename ‘Ounce.
So yeah, we may finally have the codename for the next Nintendo console, all thanks to a Game Freak security breach and some leaked files.
And there’s certainly a lot more interesting stuff where that came from too. Why? Because reports say the files are a whole terabyte in size, which is significantly larger than every Pokémon game released until now put together. Hence, it’s almost certain that we’re not just getting betas and demos here, but a veritable treasure trove of development resources related to Pokémon games both past and future.
It’s absolutely insane news, and something that’s sure to send plenty of ripples through the internet in the coming days.
Especially given the very different responses the modding scene and Nintendo are sure to have here. For the former, it’s basically a dream come true. Now, they’ve all the code and materials needed to make some of the series’ most beloved titles, and a far greater ability to see how to make their plans a reality. So, we could definitely expect to see some crazy stuff there, up to and including the potential of a disassembly or PC port.
Meanwhile, Nintendo and the Pokémon Company are almost certainly going to be furious as all hell. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if this kicked off some sort of criminal investigation into how these materials were obtained, and a barrage of legal threats were dished out to everyone involved in distributing them. After all, it’s kind of a nightmare scenario for them, and one with effects as vast as the Gigaleak from 2018-2020.
Either way, a massive number of Pokémon development resources have now leaked, including source code for multiple generations of games and info on upcoming projects related to the series. There’s a lot to look at here, and the internet will probably go insane over the next few days, so keep tuned for any more info on this story as it comes in.
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