Nintendo: Zelda Game Pirated 1M Times Before Release

In a recent legal move, Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against the developers of the Yuzu Nintendo Switch emulator, alleging that the software has facilitated piracy on an enormous scale, specifically highlighting the case of "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" (TOTK). Nintendo claims that TOTK was downloaded over a million times illegally prior to its official release, pointing fingers at Yuzu's project lead, known as Bunnei, and the emulation software for enabling gamers to play pirated copies of Switch games. Additionally, Nintendo accuses Yuzu of contributing to the spread of TOTK spoilers online, sharing disgruntled tweets from fans about early leaks. The lawsuit is centered around the damage Nintendo believes this piracy and spoiler spread is causing and is aimed at stopping further damage from occurring.

Nintendo argues that the Yuzu emulator has caused "great and irreparable injury" by enabling widespread piracy of Nintendo Switch games like "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," which allegedly suffered over a million illegal downloads before release. This piracy undermines sales and harms the income of developers and publishers by allowing consumers to obtain and play games without payment.

"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" is the highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." It continues the adventure of Link in an expansive open world, building upon the mechanics introduced in its predecessor. Fans of the series have eagerly awaited the game's release, making the issue of pre-release piracy a significant concern for both Nintendo and its loyal player base. The company's aggressive legal action reflects its efforts to protect its intellectual property and maintain the integrity of its game releases.