Nintendo Shuts Down Famous Switch Emulator Ryujinx

In a major move against piracy, Nintendo has successfully shut down Ryujinx, a popular Nintendo Switch emulator. The emulator, which has been in development since 2017, ceased operations on October 1, following a direct intervention from Nintendo. This comes just after the closure of Yuzu, another widely used Switch emulator, making this part of Nintendo’s continued efforts to combat emulation software.

Ryujinx Shuts Its Doors

Lead developer gdkchan was approached by Nintendo with an agreement to stop all development of Ryujinx. The news was officially confirmed by team member riperiperi, who stated on the emulator’s Discord server, “Yesterday, gdkchan was contacted by Nintendo and offered an agreement to stop working on the project, remove the organization and all related assets he’s in control of. While awaiting confirmation, the organization has been removed.” While the details of the agreement remain unclear, the emulator is no longer available for download.

Nintendo has long held a strong stance against piracy and copyright infringement, making headlines with similar actions against other emulators like Cemu and Yuzu. Developers have even faced significant financial consequences, with Yuzu recently agreeing to pay $2.4 million in damages to the Japanese gaming giant.

In the days leading up to the shutdown, Ryujinx was making waves after showcasing Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom running at uncapped FPS on the emulator. However, Nintendo’s swift action put an end to these developments, reaffirming its dedication to protecting its intellectual property.