Reddit shuts down largest Nintendo Switch game hacking Community

The current state of Reddit is marked by a tumultuous period, particularly due to widespread user protests, as discussed in a previous article. Amidst the backlash against the new pricing policy by prominent subreddits, another community finds itself in mourning today. After a three-year existence, r/NewYuzuPiracy has officially closed its doors.

The subreddit now displays a message stating that it has been banned for violating Reddit‘s content policy, which prohibits the creation or revival of a subreddit that serves the same purpose as a previously banned one. As its name implies, r/NewYuzuPiracy was a successor to the banned forum r/YuzuPiracy, which was removed from the site on April 21, 2020. Shortly after, its replacement emerged, providing its members with new methods and links to hack or emulate Nintendo Switch games. This community had ample time to flourish during its three-year lifespan, only to be shut down by Reddit recently.

In its final days, r/NewYuzuPiracy boasted a membership of over 69,800 individuals. Notably, this number skyrocketed when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leaked online before its official release, attracting “only” 37,000 members previously. The sudden and remarkable surge in popularity likely caught the attention of Reddit moderators.

While there is no concrete evidence linking Nintendo to the subreddit’s closure, it is worth noting the Japanese company’s fierce battle against piracy and Nintendo Switch emulators since the launch of Tears of the Kingdom. Given these circumstances, it is plausible that Nintendo played a role in the shutdown.

Regardless, it is highly probable that the members of r/NewYuzuPiracy have not spoken their final words and may already be covertly preparing to establish a new community on a different platform.