Nintendo Wins $4.5M Piracy Case Against Reddit Moderator

Nintendo has been awarded $4.5 million in damages after suing a Reddit moderator who ran Switch piracy forums and websites.

Nintendo's legendary legal team has done it again. The company just scored a massive win in court, and this time the target was a Reddit moderator running a Switch piracy operation.

According to Polygon, Nintendo sued a Reddit user known as Archbox — real name James Williams — who managed a forum dedicated to Switch piracy. The lawsuit has now reached its conclusion, and the verdict is in: Nintendo was awarded $4.5 million in damages (roughly 30.2 million RMB).

So what exactly did Williams do to earn Nintendo's wrath? The company accused him of copying, distributing, and promoting pirated Switch content to the public. But it goes deeper than that. Nintendo further alleged that Williams created, operated, maintained, and promoted multiple piracy websites that let users download an enormous library of Switch games. Basically, he wasn't just dabbling — he was running a full-scale operation.

Back in October 2025, when Nintendo first filed its motion, the company made its position crystal clear. It stated that the damages it was seeking at the time were "far from sufficient to reflect the severity" of the defendant's actions. Nintendo also pointed out that under DMCA violations, it could have pursued statutory damages in the "millions of dollars." The fact that it didn't go after that full amount? Nintendo described its own actions against Williams as "reasonable." Classic Nintendo — firm but fair, at least in its own eyes.

The court didn't stop at the money, either. Williams has been ordered to immediately shut down the online stores he was accused of operating and is barred from letting users access them going forward. That's a hard stop on his entire setup.

Interestingly, the Switch piracy community tied to the lawsuit seems to be distancing itself from Williams now that the hammer has dropped. One commenter didn't hold back, saying: "This guy selling this stuff is just an idiot. Bro brought this on himself to get absolutely wrecked." Ouch. Nothing like getting thrown under the bus by your own community.

This latest victory adds another notch to Nintendo's belt as one of the most aggressive companies when it comes to protecting its intellectual property. From emulators to ROM sites to individual pirates, the Big N has shown time and again that it's not afraid to take legal action — and it usually wins.

What do you think about Nintendo's ongoing war on piracy? Is $4.5 million a fair punishment, or is Nintendo going too far? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.