In the attempt to combat piracy, Nintendo is apparently willing to go as far as bricking Nintendo Switch 2 systems following unauthorized use, according to the updated Nintendo Account Agreement.
As reported by Eurogamer, users should have received a new email recently informing them of the updates made to the Nintendo Account Agreement ahead of the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. Though the wording differs between the European and the United States Agreement, the message is clear. In Europe, digital products are licensed only for personal and non-commercial use, and unauthorized use of a Digital Product may result in the product becoming unusable. In the United States, the update states that the user acknowledges that if they fail to comply with the restrictions by Nintendo, the company can not only render the Account Service unusable, but also the device itself, in whole or in part. While restricting access to online services is nothing new, bricking an entire system seems rather extreme, and would create all sorts of legal troubles for Nintendo pretty much everywhere.
Nintendo has always been among the video game companies that have fought the hardest against piracy, and they have ramped up their battle ahead of the reveal and the imminent launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. Last year, the Japanese company went after the popular Yuzu emulator, which allowed users, among other things, to enjoy Switch games on PC with higher resolutions, higher framerates, and all sorts of mods. The other popular Switch emulator, Ryujinx, was also taken down last October. With the company now warning users that their system may be bricked, it definitely seems like Nintendo's war on piracy has entered a whole new stage, although it remains to be seen if the company will go to such extreme lengths.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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