A widely-used Nintendo Switch emulator can no longer be used following interference from the Japanese gaming giant.

On Tuesday, Ryujinx – which is an open-source Nintendo Switch emulator compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS – posted a screenshot of its shutdown announcement on its X page. This decision followed communication from gdkchan, the creator of the emulator, alerted by Nintendo on Monday, as detailed in a message shared by riperiperi, another developer of Ryujinx.

The announcement stated, “Yesterday, gdkchan received contact from Nintendo and was presented with an agreement to halt the project’s development and eliminate the organization along with all associated assets under his control.” It continued with, “While we wait for confirmation on whether he would accept this agreement, the organization has been disbanded, so it’s clear what the result is. Instead of leaving you in uncertainty, I’ve decided to offer this brief message to provide some closure.”

Initially started as a solo project by one developer in 2017, Ryujinx later welcomed a small team of developers, as highlighted on its website. It also offered support for over 3,200 playable games to its users.

“We want to express our gratitude for all your support during our development journey. I learned many fascinating aspects about the games I cherish, experiencing them in renewed ways, and I believe many of you have had similarly meaningful experiences,” the announcement expressed.

YSL News reached out to Nintendo on Tuesday, but they referred any inquiries regarding the situation to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).

The ESA stated through spokesperson Aubrey Quinn, “The industry is committed to safeguarding the creativity and labor of video game developers. Any illegal workarounds of copyright protections or involvement in copyright piracy stifles innovation and obstructs the development of entertainment experiences that millions of players enjoy globally.”

Nintendo has Recently Targeted Another Popular Switch Emulator

The shutdown of Ryujinx coincides with Nintendo’s increased actions against emulators following their lawsuit against Tropic Haze, the developers behind another well-known Switch emulator, Yuzu.

According to IGN, Tropic Haze settled with Nintendo for $2.4 million in damages, leading to the permanent closure of Yuzu. The company alleged that “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” was pirated over 1 million times before its official release date.

Additionally, Nintendo issued a takedown request to Tropic Haze, demanding the removal of the game’s code from Yuzu, as reported by IGN.

While emulators aren’t illegal, downloading copyrighted game materials from the internet is, as stated by the Spokesman-Review.