The 'Nintendo Ninjas' have struck again as one Reddit mod has been hit with a lawsuit worth over $4.5 million as the iconic games developer aims to continue its crack down on piracy.
Piracy and emulation is something that every big developer has to deal with, and over the years a number of invasive and unpopular measures have been implemented to curb the illegal sharing of game files on the internet.
Perhaps no developer has been targeted more than Nintendo though, specifically following the launch of the Switch in 2017, to the point where it wasn't uncommon for big new first party titles to make it onto emulators before they had actually been officially released.
Nintendo has taken this threat seriously over the years, and implemented a number of features into the Switch 2 that make it much harder for hackers to exploit, but key to the developer's plan of action are eye-watering lawsuits.
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It has already targeted gamers sharing footage of emulated titles, people selling modded Switch consoles, and sites that share these pirated game files, and they've now even gone after a Reddit user in a shocking case.
As reported by Polygon, Nintendo has now filed a motion against James "Archbox" Williams, who is alleged to have led the r/SwitchPirates subreddit, which shares information, tutorials, and even files for Switch and Switch 2 titles.
Filed in Washington's district court, the lawsuit alleges that Williams "facilitated a network of unauthorized 'shops' (nicknamed 'freeshops') that have offered to the public extensive libraries of pirated Nintendo Switch games for download."
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It continues to claim that he "not only copied and distributed Nintendo game files without authorization; he actively promoted their distribution and copying to thousands of others across a variety of websites and online 'communities', and knowingly trafficked in unlawful software products aimed at circumventing Nintendo's technological measures protecting against unauthorized access to and use of Nintendo Switch games and the Nintendo Switch console itself."
That last section is likely in reference to the hardware that Williams potentially used to take the Switch games off the console and onto another device, which could be similar to the flash cartridges that some YouTubers have used.
In total, Nintendo is seeking $4.5 million in damages from Williams, albeit the company is not implying that it has suffered that staggering figure in losses, but instead is basing it on other cases involving cheat makers.
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"The money at stake by this Motion is nowhere near an amount that would compensate NOA (Nintendo of America) for the seriousness of Defendants' conduct," the lawsuit alleges.
Nintendo previously issued Williams with a cease and desist letter back in March 2024, but it appears as if he failed to fully cooperate, and even denied his involvement in the claimed piracy shops, and allegedly deleted comments that linked his activity to these claims.