Nintendo has launched a new legal offensive against Switch piracy, setting its sights on the Reddit community r/SwitchPirates and its alleged connections to a major piracy network.
In a federal court filing dated November 21, Nintendo is pursuing action against James "Archbox" Williams, who reportedly served as a primary moderator of the r/SwitchPirates subreddit - a community of over 200,000 members focused on Nintendo Switch piracy discussions.
The gaming giant claims Williams operated an extensive network of "Pirate Shops" while using the subreddit to promote pirated Switch games and tools designed to bypass the console's security measures.
According to the court documents, Nintendo alleges Williams may have controlled multiple Reddit accounts to mask identities of others involved in the piracy network. The company is now seeking court approval to subpoena Reddit for user records that could expose additional moderators and users connected to the subreddit.
The legal action extends beyond Reddit, with Nintendo requesting information from several tech companies including Cloudflare, Github, Google, Discord, and domain registrars like Namecheap and GoDaddy.
If granted, these subpoenas could establish a precedent for holding social media platforms accountable for hosting piracy-related discussions. While Nintendo intensifies its anti-piracy campaign, the r/SwitchPirates subreddit remains active and operational.
The case represents Nintendo's latest move in its ongoing battle against Switch piracy, potentially impacting how online platforms handle communities centered around game piracy discussions.