The popular Nintendo Switch emulator, Ryujinx, has ceased operations after its lead developer was contacted by Nintendo. This follows a pattern of Nintendo taking action against Switch emulators, raising concerns within the emulation community.
Ryujinx’s shutdown was announced on its Discord server, as shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Wario64. The message revealed that Nintendo contacted the lead developer, “gdkchan,” requesting the project be halted and all related assets removed. While the specific terms of the agreement between Nintendo and gdkchan remain undisclosed, the emulator’s download links have been removed from the official website. The Ryujinx Github repository has also been archived, making it read-only.
Cloud saves, which are supported through Nintendo Switch Online
The remaining Ryujinx developers expressed gratitude to the community, acknowledging the shared learning experiences and unique circumstances surrounding the project. The full statement, as shared by Wario64, can be found below:
Looks like Ryujinx (Switch emulator) is dead pic.twitter.com/gE1qH30Axs
— Wario64 (@Wario64) October 1, 2024
Rumors of Ryujinx’s demise began circulating on Tuesday morning when users on the subreddit noticed the app malfunctioning, encountering Github errors, and the disappearance of download links. Initial speculations ranged from hacking to technical glitches. However, Discord messages later suggested that Nintendo’s legal action was the cause.
This is not the first instance of Nintendo targeting Switch emulators. Earlier this year, the Yuzu emulator was shut down after reaching a $2.4 million settlement with Nintendo. The lawsuit stemmed from copyright infringement and accusations of facilitating piracy, particularly for Tears of the Kingdom. Nintendo’s recent legal actions also extend to the developer of the open-world survival game Palworld for alleged patent infringement, although the specific patents remain unspecified.
Ryujinx, an open-source emulator written in C#, was compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its closure marks another significant loss for the emulation community and reinforces Nintendo’s firm stance against unauthorized emulation of its consoles.
The shutdown of Ryujinx underscores the ongoing tension between Nintendo and the emulation community. While emulators can offer accessibility and preservation of older games, Nintendo maintains its focus on protecting its intellectual property.
