Nintendo Takes Down Switch Emulators and Mod Chip Firmware In Massive GitHub DMCA Sweep

Nintendo has taken action against two Nintendo Switch emulators, Yuzu and Citron Neo, as well as mod chip firmware, through four DMCA takedown notices directed at GitHub. This isn't the first instance of Nintendo targeting GitHub, nor is it the first time they've attempted to remove Yuzu, but this time the focus appears to be on mod chip firmware.

The mod chip, specifically the Picofly, can be installed on the Nintendo Switch's motherboard and equipped with this firmware to bypass Nintendo's copy protection. GitHub has published Nintendo's November 6 DMCA notice, stating that the Nintendo Switch console and video games contain technological protection measures that allow the console to only recognize legitimate Nintendo video game files, thus protecting Nintendo's copyright-protected video games and preventing users from playing pirated copies or unlawfully copying and playing games on unauthorized devices.

Despite the takedown, the mod chip firmware remains accessible on GitHub in some form, suggesting Nintendo may not be done yet. This comes shortly after emulators were able to run The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on PC, indicating Nintendo might be intensifying their efforts to combat emulation. The takedown also occurs a few days after the rise of AI-generated mashup mods on Twitter, which led Anthropic to implement a lock to prevent Claude from copying games outright.

Developers have also started cracking down on AI ports of games, with Rockstar taking down a browser version of GTA 5 and Bethesda removing an AI-generated Fallout New York game.