Nintendo has issued a fresh wave of DMCA takedown notices targeting Nintendo Switch emulators hosted on GitHub, continuing its long-running crackdown on Switch emulation.
Multiple projects, including Eden, Citron, Kenji-NX, MelonNX, Skyline, Sudachi, Suyu and others, have reportedly received notices via GitHub’s Trust & Safety team. While some repositories remain visible at the time of writing, developers were given a short deadline to respond before facing potential disablement.
The move follows earlier legal action against major Switch emulators and signals that Nintendo’s enforcement campaign is far from over.
Multiple Switch Emulator Repositories Hit With DMCA Notices
As first highlighted by PC Gamer and shared across Reddit, a number of Nintendo Switch emulator repositories on GitHub were notified that they had been targeted under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
GitHub’s message reportedly stated it is “never our desire or goal to take down open-source projects”, but explained that it must act when presented with valid DMCA claims. Developers were given one business day to respond before repositories risk being disabled.
Among the affected projects are forks and successors to earlier Switch emulators. Some, like Skyline and Sudachi, are no longer actively developed, yet were still included in the sweep.
According to reports, even projects that are inactive or forks of previous emulators did not escape attention, suggesting this was a broad action rather than a targeted strike at a single team.
Eden Developer Says “Nothing Major” But Releases Moving Off GitHub
An Eden developer known as maufeat addressed the situation on the project’s Discord server, confirming their release repository received a notice.
“It is true, but nothing major,” maufeat wrote. “Our release repo got the notice so you will probably have to download future releases and nightlies directly from us.”
They added that many affected projects are forks and said it was “just a matter of time” before GitHub-hosted versions were targeted. The developer also explained that this is precisely why some emulator teams avoid hosting their source code on GitHub in the first place.
Self-hosted repositories, including official project websites for Eden and Citron, appear to remain online for now.
Community Reaction: “They Can Never Kill Emulation”
The news quickly spread across Reddit and emulator Discord communities, where frustration was clear.
One widely shared comment read, “If they kill one, 10 more will pop up. Kill 10, 100 more will pop up. They can never kill emulation.” Another user advised, “It’s never a bad time to back up your favourite emulators.”
While those reactions reflect community sentiment, the legal reality is more complicated. Emulation itself is not automatically illegal under US case law. However, when it intersects with bypassing technological protection measures or facilitating piracy, companies like Nintendo have aggressively pursued action.
In previous filings, Nintendo argued that certain emulators enabled widespread piracy, including early downloads of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom prior to its official release.
This Follows Major Legal Action Against Yuzu And Ryujinx
This latest round of DMCA notices comes after a turbulent period for Switch emulation in 2024.
Nintendo sued the creators of Yuzu, one of the first major Nintendo Switch emulators. The case ended in a reported US$2.4 million settlement. Shortly after, Ryujinx was discontinued after its creators were reportedly offered an agreement to stop working on the project.
Discord servers for related emulator projects such as Suyu and Sudachi were also taken offline during that period.
In response, new forks like Citron and Eden emerged. The current GitHub notices suggest Nintendo is now addressing those successors directly.
Nintendo’s Broader Position On Emulation And Piracy
Nintendo has consistently taken a strict stance on emulation and piracy, particularly when it involves current-generation hardware like the Nintendo Switch.
The company has previously revised its account agreements and privacy policies to tighten rules around emulation and unauthorised use. It has also banned users from online services for using flash cartridges capable of storing pirated game files.
A key part of Nintendo’s legal argument in past cases has centred on technological protection measures, including encryption keys used to decrypt Switch games. Even if those keys are not bundled directly with emulator code, Nintendo has argued that circumvention tools enable infringement.
While the removal of repositories from GitHub does not erase emulator development entirely, it can make projects harder to discover and distribute.
For now, it appears the battle between Nintendo and Switch emulation developers is entering yet another phase. Whether this wave of DMCA notices significantly slows development or simply pushes projects further underground remains to be seen.