Nintendo has struck again against piracy, this time targeting former Reddit SwitchPirates community moderator James Williams, also known online as “Archbox.” A federal court in Washington state issued a default judgment, ordering Williams to pay $4.5 million to Nintendo of America and shut down the websites he operated to distribute Switch piracy content.
Most Awkward: He Didn’t Even Respond to the Lawsuit
The key point of this ruling isn’t that Nintendo fought a lengthy court battle with Williams — it’s that Williams never formally responded to the lawsuit, leading the court to issue a default judgment. Nintendo filed the lawsuit back in 2024, accusing Williams of operating multiple “Pirate Shops”, including helping to distribute unauthorized Switch games, providing hacking tool information, and directing users to pirated games through Reddit and other communities.
It’s Not Just “Downloading Games” — It’s an Entire Piracy Ecosystem!
According to Nintendo’s court filings, Williams was accused of promoting multiple piracy websites through the SwitchPirates community, even providing technical information on how to use hacking tools and run pirated Switch games. Nintendo argued at the time that the community he participated in had nearly 190,000 members, and believed the activities resulted in widespread distribution of unauthorized games.
$4.5 Million Isn’t All — The Websites Must Also Shut Down
In addition to damages, the court’s order also requires Williams to cease all infringing activities and shut down the websites used to distribute pirated Switch content. This continues Nintendo’s aggressive legal strategy against the Switch piracy and hacking ecosystem in recent years, including the previous case against Modded Hardware operator Ryan Daly, who was ultimately ordered to pay $2 million. Now with Williams’ $4.5 million, Nintendo clearly isn’t letting up on the piracy ring.