After six years of active development, the Nintendo Switch emulator Ryujinx has officially ceased operations following a takedown request from Nintendo.
In light of the recent shut down of the widely used Switch emulator, Yuzu, Nintendo has shifted its focus to another emulator—Ryujinx. Founded by lead developer gdkchan in 2017, Ryujinx has served as a crucial tool for Switch emulation, but that has come to an end as of today.
As of October 1, Ryujinx is no longer being developed, and the emulator is no longer available for download from the official website. This announcement comes shortly after the demonstration of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom running on Ryujinx, which showcased impressive uncapped frame rates.
The closure itself isn’t a shock, particularly given Nintendo’s relentless stance against piracy and the infringement of its intellectual property. The developers have previously shut down other emulators, including Cemu and Yuzu, with the latter reportedly agreeing to pay Nintendo $2.4 million in damages.
On the official Ryujinx Discord server, developer riperiperi explained the circumstances leading to the closure.
— Ryujinx (@RyujinxEmu) October 1, 2024
“Yesterday, gdkchan was contacted by Nintendo and presented with an agreement to cease development of the project and dismantle all related assets he controlled. While waiting for a decision on the agreement, the organization was preemptively taken down, which suggests a clear outcome.”
The specifics of this “agreement” remain unclear, but it is evident that Ryujinx has shut down operations and is unlikely to return anytime soon. With yet another emulator closing its doors, it is apparent that Nintendo is focused on stamping out emulation and copyright violations, as exemplified by their recent lawsuits involving Pokemon and Palworld.
Nintendo has been aggressive in addressing copyright issues, even targeting YouTube channels for simply showcasing emulated content; Retro Games Corp recently received two copyright strikes from Nintendo for such activities.
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