The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has successfully taken control of Nsw2u, a significant website known for distributing pirated Nintendo Switch games. Visitors attempting to access the site now encounter a message confirming its seizure by law enforcement.
Reports indicate that the seizure of Nsw2u was carried out as part of a coordinated law enforcement action that included the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service, a Dutch government body specializing in financial crimes. The legal warrant for the site`s takedown originated from a US District Court in Georgia.
Nintendo has been increasingly aggressive in its efforts to combat game piracy, a push that has become more prominent since the recent launch of the Switch 2. Users discovered the consequences firsthand when inserting an MIG Switch cartridge into the new console led to an immediate and permanent ban from online services. The MIG Switch can store various game ROMs, regardless of their origin, but Nintendo has shown zero tolerance for its use. Consoles flagged for using the MIG Switch cannot have the ban reversed, as it constitutes a violation of Nintendo`s terms of service.
In what appeared to be a strong warning to potential copyright infringers, Nintendo also actively pursued an individual last year accused of selling hardware modifications and customized Switch consoles bundled with pirated titles.
These actions follow earlier high-profile cases, such as the 2020 arrest and subsequent 40-month prison sentence of Switch pirate Gary Bowser. Despite his early release for good behavior, Bowser is still obligated to pay Nintendo a substantial sum as part of a multi-million dollar judgment against him. Bowser himself has publicly stated that his case was intended by Nintendo to serve as a deterrent example for others involved in Switch piracy.