The FBI has taken down one of the most popular ROM sites for the Nintendo Switch, Nsw2u, as part of the ongoing fight against piracy. The site was seized earlier this week on Thursday, though some members of the Switch Piracy Reddit page noted that the site remained online for a few hours before being fully shut down.
Visitors to the site are now greeted with a splash screen from the FBI, announcing that the site has been seized ‘in accordance with a seizure warrant.’ In addition, the splash screen features a logo from the FIOD Tax Administration, a Dutch agency that played a key role in the investigation that led to the takedown.
Though Nintendo has not issued an official comment on the seizure, it’s clear that this action is part of the company’s broader, more aggressive campaign against piracy on Nintendo Switch and the upcoming Switch 2 consoles. The crackdown on piracy has intensified recently, with one of the most notable developments being Nintendo’s ability to ‘brick’ Switch 2 devices that are used in ways the company deems ‘unauthorized.’ Reports have indicated that Nintendo has made strides in locking down the devices to prevent jailbreaking, and their actions are becoming increasingly strict.
At launch, the Nintendo Switch was notably easy to jailbreak-some players managed to unlock their consoles using nothing more than a simple paperclip. While Nintendo quickly responded by releasing revised models to prevent this, it didn’t stop users from finding new ways to bypass restrictions. Nintendo’s ongoing battle against piracy is a reminder of how serious the company is about protecting its intellectual property, even if it means facing off against regional agencies and dedicated hackers.