Nintendo Removes Over 8,500 Yuzu Emulator Copies In DMCA Takedown

Nintendo ADR NTDOY has issued a takedown request for over 8,500 copies of the code of the Yuzu emulator, a tool used to play Nintendo Switch games on other platforms.

This action follows the shutdown of Yuzu in March 2024, which occurred after its owners settled a lawsuit with Nintendo for $2.4 million.

See Also: Yuzu Emulator Under Fire: Nintendo Sues Over Alleged 1 Million Pre-Release Zelda Downloads

According to PC Gamer, the takedown request was made on April 29, resulting in the removal of 8,535 repositories of Yuzu code from developer platform GitHub.

“Because the reported network that contained the allegedly infringing content was larger than one hundred (100) repositories, and the submitter alleged that all or most of the forks were infringing to the same extent as the parent repository, GitHub processed the takedown notice against the entire network of 8,535 repositories, inclusive of the parent repository,” GitHub stated.

Users uploaded Yuzu emulator code post-shutdown, enabling free access to Switch games. Nintendo stated it “illegally circumvents Nintendo's technological protection measures and runs illegal copies of Nintendo Switch games.”

This mirrors previous legal actions taken by Nintendo, including the lawsuit against Yuzu creator Tropic Haze, where Nintendo claimed that their game, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, was pirated one million times before its release.

Nintendo has a history of vigorously protecting its intellectual property rights. Previous cases include RomUniverse being ordered to pay $2.1 million in damages in 2021 and another case resulting in over $12 million in damages in 2018.

Additionally, Nintendo has blocked the release of emulators like Dolphin, which can play GameCube and Wii games, on platforms like Steam.

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