Nintendo Acknowledges Third-Party Hack Attempt as Group Demands $2 Million for Employee Data
A group calling itself ShadowByt3$ has issued a threat to leak a substantial amount of private employee data from Nintendo, claiming to possess “859.0MB” of sensitive information. This data reportedly includes employee emails, full names, bank statements, and private conversations, and the group is demanding a ransom of $2 million to prevent the leak.
On June 12, ShadowByt3$ made their threat public on their website, accompanied by a blog post outlining the supposed contents of the stolen data and a link to a now-inaccessible mega.io file that they claimed contained proof of their breach. The group warned, “You have 48 hours to contact us, Nintendo, or all data gets leaked.” They added that if Nintendo reached out, they would grant an additional day for consideration.
In a follow-up threat on June 14, the group stated they would now target TinyPulse, the employee feedback platform from which they claim to have sourced the Nintendo data, after Nintendo opted not to pay the ransom. The message read, “TinyPulse, you have until June 16, 2026, to contact us via Telegram or email. Since Nintendo decided not to pay, we are demanding that TinyPulse pay, or all data will be leaked, including private messages of Nintendo employees.”
TinyPulse serves as an employee engagement and feedback tool, designed to help companies enhance their workplace culture and communication. It acts as a bridge between messaging platforms and traditional message boards, allowing employees to voice concerns and discuss company matters.
The leak also revealed that in December 2025, Nintendo of America had begun implementing Microsoft’s Copilot AI in their operations, despite employee concerns regarding its use.
Screenshots shared by a user on X suggest that they accessed some of the information from the now-removed mega.io link, claiming that the group had failed to obscure the download link in one of their proof images. While the authenticity of these screenshots cannot be confirmed, they reportedly include discussions about the potential downsides of relying on AI tools like Copilot.
In response to the situation, Nintendo acknowledged an issue involving TinyPulse, clarifying that their systems had not been compromised and that no personal customer or financial data was accessed. The company stated that the data in question was limited to internal survey content from a small group of employees, most of which is several years old. They expressed appreciation for employee feedback and confirmed they are working with TinyPulse to resolve the issue.
