Japan's biggest charity speedrun event has had to exclude Nintendo games from this year's program. The reason was an official notification from the company itself, which alleged unauthorized use of its titles in previous editions. RTA in Japan 2025, which takes place between August 9th and 15th, had to adapt its rules after receiving the legal notice.
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The organization received a formal warning from Nintendo and explained its decision to the public
According to a published statement, the RTA organizers claim that they had been using Nintendo games normally until 2025. However, this changed when, on June 13th, they received an official communication from the company.
Nintendo stated that the entity can only use its games with prior authorization and classified previous uses as unauthorized, since they occurred without this permission.
The statement also clarifies that Nintendo requested that authorization be granted on a case-by-case basis, which directly affected the structure of the 2025 edition. According to the statement from the RTA in Japan:
"Since, at the time the selected games were announced, there was still no clear definition of this procedure, we decided not to use Nintendo games in this event."
Nintendo will impose individual licenses for each game at future events
With the new guideline, organizers will need to request specific permission for each Nintendo title they wish to include in future events. This bureaucratic requirement makes the process more time-consuming and complex, hindering the inclusion of the company's games in schedules with tight deadlines.
According to the official statement from the RTA:
"For events held after RTA in Japan Summer 2025, we will request authorization from Nintendo in advance, title by title, in order to enable the legal use of their games."
Despite the change, the organization made it clear that there was no break with the company. The organization seeks to maintain an open dialogue with Nintendo and find legal ways to re-include the company's games in future editions.
The absence of classics like Mario and Zelda marks the 2025 edition
The decision represents a symbolic impact for the event, which has always featured major Nintendo franchises such as Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and Pokémon. However, the marathon continues with a diverse program, including games like Nier: Automata, Silent Hill 2, Dead Cells, Castlevania X, and even E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, an Atari classic.
This variety shows that, even without Nintendo titles, the community remains mobilized around the charitable cause.
The event continues with a focus on solidarity and adapts its rules
RTA in Japan is known for transforming video game marathons into acts of solidarity. All proceeds from the event go to humanitarian organizations, and this year, the funds will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.
With the new requirement, the event also announced that it will update its game submission and selection guidelines:
“We anticipate changes to the game submission guidelines for future editions. We will inform you as soon as the new rules are defined.”
The organization used the statement to apologize to those who submitted Nintendo games this year and had their proposals rejected due to the new policy.
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