Finding downloadable Nintendo Switch ROMs just got harder for people sailing the high seas.
Two popular websites, Nsw2u and Nswdl, were recently taken offline, replaced with a seizure notice from the FBI. The sites had allowed users to download Switch ROMs, which could be played on emulators or modified consoles.
The notice states that the domains were seized under a warrant issued by a U.S. district court in Georgia. Dutch authorities from the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) also participated in the operation. Nsw2u had been flagged earlier this year, appearing on an EU piracy watchlist in May 2025.
Most ROM sites, including these two, don’t host game files directly but link to external sources. Still, Nintendo has aggressively pursued platforms enabling piracy. The company has also targeted emulator developers, such as Yuzu, which shut down in March 2024 after a lawsuit. Despite this, Yuzu remains widely used.
Nintendo has also taken action against the MIG Switch, a cartridge that supports both legal backups and unauthorized ROMs. With the upcoming Switch 2 being backward compatible, the company has banned consoles using the MIG Switch from online services. This move has drawn criticism, including from Brazil’s consumer protection agency, which warns that legitimate players could be unfairly blocked.
While piracy alternatives still exist, Nintendo’s legal efforts continue to tighten access to unauthorized game copies.
Source: Kotaku