A popular Nintendo Switch piracy site has been seized by the FBI, as Nintendo continues its crackdown against piracy.
Nsw2u was a repository for Switch ROMs online, meaning players could download games without purchasing them to play on a hacked console or PC emulator. Now, as reported by Kotaku, the site has been taken down in accordance with a seizure warrant from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Dutch agency the FIOD, which investigates financial crimes in the Netherlands, was also involved.
The site has been on the EU’s piracy watchlist since May of this year, so was blocked by ISPs in several EU countries, as TorrentFreak reported. Now, when attempting to view the site, a notice reads: “This website has been seized”.
Eurogamer has contacted Nintendo to clarify its role in seizing the piracy site.
Earlier this year, ahead of the Switch 2 launch, Nintendo updated its policy against piracy with a severe warning against “unauthorised use” that could result in consoles being bricked.
Indeed, the company has been heavily cracking down on piracy in recent years. Back in March, it won a legal battle against a French file-sharing company it described as “significant… for the entire games industry”.
Last year Switch emulator Yuzu was shut down, with its developer agreeing to pay Nintendo $2.4m in damage.