Nintendo has shut down 'immune' Switch emulator Ryujinx permanently
Nintendo has pulled off a major win by shutting down Ryujinx, one of the top emulators for its Switch console. This comes hot on the heels of the company's legal action against Yuzu, another big name in the Switch emulator scene, back in March. Now, download page for Ryujinx is empty, and its GitHub repository has vanished. Plus, the project's social media channels hint that Nintendo might have struck a deal with the lead developer to stop operations for good.
Developer's statement on Ryujinx shutdown
A developer and moderator, ripinperiperi, shared on Discord that Nintendo had reached out to Ryujinx's lead developer, gdkchan. The company proposed a deal to halt work on the project and take down all related assets under his control. "While awaiting confirmation on whether he would take this agreement, the organization has been removed," ripinperiperi stated. This hints that gdkchan might have accepted Nintendo's proposal, resulting in the project's termination.
Ryujinx's perceived immunity and Nintendo's response
Ryujinx was thought to be pretty safe from legal trouble because of rumors that gdkchan was based in Brazil, a country that's pretty liberal about emulation. But here's the twist: Nintendo never actually filed a lawsuit against Ryujinx, nor did they go after its Discord server or send a DMCA takedown notice for its GitHub repo. When asked about their deal with the developer, Nintendo neither confirmed nor denied it.
Nintendo's legal rights and recent actions
Despite emulators generally being legal, that doesn't stop Nintendo from throwing lawsuits at independent developers, who might not have the cash to fight back. The company can also send DMCA takedown requests or push platforms like Discord and GitHub to take down content. Recently, Ryujinx managed to run the newly launched game The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom on PCs more smoothly than on the actual Nintendo Switch console, potentially drawing attention from the company.
