The FBI officially overthrew the NSW2U website, one of the largest illegal distribution platforms of Nintendo Switch games. The FBI coordinated an international operation in partnership with Fiod, a Dutch agency specializing in financial crimes.
US authorities have seized dominance, which now displays official notification after identifying the site as one of the main illegal download points of the switch. The initiative represents another Nintendo movement to curb piracy in its systems, especially Switch, which has faced security breaches since its launch.
Hacked console users adopted the site as the main reference
For years, the NSW2U has acted as one of Nintendo Switch's top ROM repositories, providing full games for users with unlocked consoles or resorting to emulators. The platform allowed free access to recently released titles, which made it especially popular among players who avoided the legal acquisition of games.
According to reports from User in Subreddit Switch Piracy, the site was still active until a few hours before the lock. This indicates that the FBI action was quick and strategic, surprising even the most frequent goer on the page.
In addition, the European Union recently included NSW2U in a list of copyright offenders, which probably accelerated the investigation and confiscation process.
Nintendo and FBI intensify repression against emulators and modifications
The action against NSW2U reinforces Nintendo's aggressive stance against piracy. In recent years, the Japanese company has moved a series of legal proceedings against emulators and hardware distributors developers aimed at the unlocking of consoles.
In 2024, for example, the company won a lawsuit against the creators of Emulator Yuzu. It was used to run Switch games on PCs and other unlicensed devices. In addition, another recent target was Modded Hardware, accused of selling modification chips and MIG devices that facilitated the installation of ROMs.
