Image: Nintendo
Another Nintendo Switch emulator bites the dust.
After Yuzu was shut down earlier this year thanks to a lawsuit from Nintendo, another Switch emulator called Ryujinx has been taken offline following contact with the Japanese gaming company. According to Ryujinx’s Discord server, its creator was “offered an agreement” by Nintendo to cease work on the project and take it offline entirely.
Attempting to access Ryujinx’s Github page now results in a 404 error message.
Ryujinx gets taken offline after Nintendo crackdown
Nintendo has been cracking down on game emulators lately. Tropic Haze, the owner of a Nintendo Switch emulator called Yuzu, was forced to take its emulator down following a costly lawsuit with Nintendo, which ended in a $2.4 million settlement. Tropic Haze was also forced to take down its Nintendo 3DS emulator Citra due to the lawsuit.
This week, Nintendo has taken down another game emulator - albeit in a more roundabout way. Users of the Switch emulator Ryujinx noticed that its Github page had suddenly been rendered inaccessible this week, displaying a 404 error message to all visitors. The emulator’s Discord server had also suddenly paused user invites, and one of its mods clarified that this was “not a DMCA, it's not an issue with GitHub. Please wait for further information and refrain from spreading [misinformation] thanks."
Soon after, a statement released on Ryujinx’s Discord server confirmed that developer ‘gdkchan’ had been contacted by Nintendo and offered an agreement to stop developing the game emulator. In addition, he would have to “remove the organisation” and all emulator assets he was in control of. Apparently, the developer neglected to inform anyone else that they had taken the agreement before pulling Ryujinx offline.
The Discord statement, written by co-developer ‘riperiperi’, states: “While awaiting confirmation on whether he would take this agreement, the organisation has been removed, so I think it's safe to say what the outcome is. Rather than leave you with only panic and speculation, I decided to write this short message to give some closure." The emulator is now unavailable to download, and its Github page has been taken offline.
Nintendo has been going after games and game emulators alike in the year leading up to the release of its Nintendo Switch successor, going so far as to sue Palworld for its similarities to Pokemon.