In an epic clash between gaming giants and the open-source community, Nintendo has taken aim at popular emulators Yuzu and Citron Neo, as well as mod chip firmware, in a massive DMCA takedown sweep on GitHub. This latest offensive marks yet another attempt by the video game titan to quash unauthorized software on its Nintendo Switch console.
The primary target of this takedown appears to be firmware for mod chips, such as Picofly, which can be attached to the Nintendo Switch's mainboard and used to circumvent Nintendo's copy protection measures. The removed repositories totaled 144, each containing mod chip firmware, replaced by DMCA takedown notices on GitHub.
Nintendo's November 6 DMCA notice states that the Nintendo Switch console and video games contain technological protection measures that prevent users from playing pirated copies of Nintendo's games or unlawfully copying them onto unauthorized devices. However, it seems that the takedown has only temporarily disrupted the distribution of mod chip firmware; according to TorrentFreak, it continues to be hosted elsewhere on the site.
This latest takedown comes just a few days after emulators managed to run the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on PC, raising speculation that Nintendo might be gearing up for another crackdown on emulation. Emulation in 2026 has evolved significantly since 2024, with the rise of AI-made mashup mods and increased scrutiny from game developers regarding AI ports of games. This year alone, Rockstar Games took down a browser version of Grand Theft Auto V, while Bethesda removed an AI-generated Fallout New York game.
Jackie Thomas, Senior Tech Editor at IGN and PC components queen, has been covering gaming hardware for more than a decade across various publications, including IGN, TechRadar, Gizmodo, PC Gamer, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @Jackiecobra.