FBI seize well-known Nintendo Switch game piracy site

One of the most popular sites for Nintendo Switch piracy has been taken down as part of an ongoing FBI investigation. As reported by Kotaku, Nsw2u was known for hosting Switch ROMs, which users could download to play on a hacked Switch or PC emulator capable of running them.

At the time of writing, when you enter the site’s URL you’ll see a notice confirming the seizure, which the FBI says is in accordance with a warrant issued by the United States District Court in Georgia. The notice also features a logo for the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD), which is a Dutch government agency that investigates financial crimes.

Nintendo has been cracking down on piracy of its games for a number of years. Back in 2019, the company sued the illegal ROM-sharing site RomUniverse, after it became aware it was offering unlimited downloads of new and old Nintendo games for an annual fee. Last year it filed a lawsuit against streamer EveryGameGuru who it accused of broadcasting footage of pirated — and in many cases unreleased — Switch games, as well as providing access to illegal ROMs. In March of 2024 the makers of popular Switch emulator Yuzu paid $2.4 million to settle charges filed by Nintendo.

Nintendo’s latest anti-piracy move was inserting a clause in an updated version of the Nintendo Switch User Agreement that effectively enables it to brick your Switch if it runs illegal emulators or pirated games. This revised agreement came into effect just ahead of the Switch 2 launch on June 5.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/fbi-seize-well-known-nintendo-switch-game-piracy-site-152216405.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/fbi-seize-well-known-nintendo-switch-game-piracy-site-152216405.html?src=rss