Japan's largest charity speedrunning event had to leave Nintendo games off its schedule this year. 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 from August 9th to 15th, had to adapt its rules after receiving the legal notice.
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Organization received formal warning from Nintendo and explained the decision to the public
According to a published statement, the RTA organizers claim that, until 2025, they had been using Nintendo games as normal. However, this changed when, on June 13th, they received an official statement from the company.
Nintendo stated that the entity can only use its games with prior authorization and classified the previous uses as unauthorized, since they occurred without such permission.
The note also clarifies that Nintendo requested that authorization be made on a case-by-case basis, which directly affected the structure of the 2025 edition. According to the RTA in Japan statement:
“Since, at the time of the announcement of the selected games, there was still no clear definition regarding this procedure, we decided not to use Nintendo games in this event.”
Nintendo imposes individual licenses for each game at future events
Under the new guidelines, 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, making it difficult to include the company's games in schedules with tight deadlines.
Still according to the official note from 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 reinstate 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 remains steadfast with a diverse lineup, 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.
Event continues with focus on solidarity and adapts 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 proceeds will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.
With the new requirement, the event also announced that it will update its registration and game selection guidelines:
"We anticipate changes to the game registration guidelines for future editions. We will inform you as soon as the new rules are defined."
The organization took advantage of the note to apologize to those who entered Nintendo games this year and had their proposal blocked because of the new policy.
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