Reddit mod ordered to pay Nintendo $4.5 million in Switch piracy lawsuit

Nintendo sued Williams, also known as “archbox” online, in 2024. In its complaint, the gaming giant claimed Williams became a “leading moderator” of the r/SwitchPirates community, where he allegedly solicited “donations” of Nintendo eShop gift cards and copies of Switch games “to be copied and distributed” on online pirate stores. Last October, Nintendo asked the court for a $4.5 million default judgment after Williams didn’t respond to the lawsuit.

“NOA [Nintendo of America] has demonstrated that Williams promoted online shops offering pirated Nintendo game files and circumvention software, encouraged others to contribute pirated Nintendo games to his pirate shops, and assisted others in distributing pirated Nintendo Switch games, even though he knew such activity violated copyright laws,” US District Judge Lauren King writes in the order.

The $4.5 million award reflects $150,000 per violation across 30 copyrighted games, including Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Luigi’s Mansion 3, and Pikmin 4. Williams must also “immediately disable access” to his alleged pirate shops, as well as shut down any social media accounts used to distribute copyrighted Switch games.