It is reported that Nintendo has closed Ryujinx, the emulator for Switch that was supposedly invulnerable.
It is alleged that Nintendo has contacted the main developer of this emulator for Switch.
Nintendo seems to have succeeded in dismantling another one of the most popular emulators for the Nintendo Switch. In March, the company sued Yuzu, and now it may have convinced Ryujinx, its main competitor, to also disappear. Currently, the Ryujinx download page is empty, its GitHub repository has been deleted, and its social media and official Discord suggest that Nintendo reached an agreement with the lead developer to shut down the project.
A developer and moderator on Discord mentioned that the team leader, gdkchan, received a proposal from Nintendo to cease work on Ryujinx and delete all related assets under his control. While confirmation was awaited on whether he would accept the agreement, the organization was taken down, which seems to indicate a definitive outcome.
The farewell message also included a tribute to the Ryujinx team, featuring videos that showcased progress in porting the emulator to iOS and Android, among other fundamental changes that likely will never see the light of day. Nintendo, for its part, has neither confirmed nor denied reaching an agreement with the developer and redirected inquiries to the communications director of the Entertainment Software Association, from whom a response is expected.
Unlike Yuzu, Ryujinx was thought to be relatively safer. There were rumors suggesting that its lead developer, GDKChan, was in Brazil, a country more open to emulator development, but no conclusive evidence was presented regarding this. No lawsuits had been reported against Ryujinx, nor similar legal actions that Yuzu faced.
Although emulation is technically legal in general terms, Nintendo has the ability to take legal action that independent developers cannot combat, as well as file takedown requests under the DMCA or pressure platforms like Discord and GitHub to remove content. There are legal theories indicating that Nintendo could have a strong case if it took emulators to court.
Recently, Ryujinx had caught Nintendo's attention by running The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom on PC with smoother performance than on the original console. Additionally, it appears that Nintendo has reactivated its legal strategy, as a popular YouTuber, RetroGameCorps, announced that his channel is at risk of removal due to numerous copyright claims for showing Nintendo games.
While it seems this could be the official end for the Ryujinx team, some members have expressed their farewells on Discord. However, it’s possible that not everything is over. Occasionally, a group of developers may persist despite pressure, and GDKChan has yet to be heard from. It is also feasible that, similar to what happened with Yuzu, forks of Ryujinx could emerge across GitHub and the web, or that its code could serve as a foundation for future emulators.
