Nintendo is seeking a massive $4.5 million payout.
Nintendo Demands $4.5 Million from Switch Pirate in Major Lawsuit
Why Nintendo is seeking millions from a hacker who ghosted them in court.
Highlights
- Nintendo is seeking $4.5 million from a prominent Switch hacker who ignored a lawsuit.
- The hacker was targeted for running illegal game shops and a major piracy community.
- This is part of Nintendo's wider war on piracy, including security features in the Switch 2.
Nintendo is now seeking a massive $4.5 million payout from James “Archbox” Williams, a prominent figure in the Switch hacking community. On October 3, the gaming giant filed a motion with the US District Court in Seattle after Williams failed to respond to a long-standing lawsuit. This move marks a critical escalation in a case that strikes at the heart of online piracy communities. A hearing for the motion is now set for Friday, October 24.
The Background of Nintendo's Lawsuit
The lawsuit dates back to 2024, when Nintendo first sued Williams, accusing him of operating several "pirate shops" that illegally distributed vast libraries of pirated Switch games. Williams was not just a distributor; he was also an influential moderator for the "r/SwitchPirates" subreddit.
Nintendo's investigators tracked Williams down to his home in Phoenix, Arizona, using his own social media posts and even his console's repair history. Even after being found, Williams never responded to the lawsuit or showed up in court.
As a result, the court handed Nintendo an automatic win in November 2024. Nintendo is now arguing that, since Williams didn't bother to fight the case, he needs to pay for the damage he caused.
This lawsuit is just one front in Nintendo's multi-pronged war on piracy. The company has a track record of aggressive legal action, including winning a $2 million settlement against Modded Hardware earlier in 2025 and its role in the case against Team Xecuter member Gary Bowser, who was sentenced to prison.
The crackdown is industry-wide, as seen this July when the FBI, in cooperation with a Dutch investigative unit, seized NSw2u, one of the largest repositories for pirated Switch games. Going forward, Nintendo is embedding its anti-piracy measures directly into its hardware, confirming that the new Switch 2 console can be remotely bricked if tampering is detected, a powerful deterrent as the console enters its fifth month on the market.
Author
Krishna Goswami is a content writer at Outlook India, where she delves into the vibrant worlds of pop culture, gaming, and esports. A graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) with a PG Diploma in English Journalism, she brings a strong journalistic foundation to her work. Her prior newsroom experience equips her to deliver sharp, insightful, and engaging content on the latest trends in the digital world.
Krishna Goswami is a content writer at Outlook India, where she delves into the vibrant worlds of pop culture, gaming, and esports. A graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) with a PG Diploma in English Journalism, she brings a strong journalistic foundation to her work. Her prior newsroom experience equips her to deliver sharp, insightful, and engaging content on the latest trends in the digital world.
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