Discord removes Nintendo Switch emulator devs’ accounts and servers

The yuzu emulator drama has continued since the company shut down their software and settled a court case with Nintendo last month. Now, Discord has decided to take action of its own by taking down servers for Nintendo emulation software Suyu and Sudachi. In addition, accounts of the emulators’ developers were completely shut down by the social media chat room but they’ve given little reason as to why. Both Suyu and Sudachi sprouted after yuzu shut down its development.

Sudachi developer Jarrod Norwell shared on X (formerly Twitter) the email that was sent to them, claiming they broke Discord’s “Terms of Service” or “Community Guidelines.” According to his post, he doesn’t believe that sending a claim would resolve anything.

😐🔫

Would an appeal even work if all of that was to cease on Discord? I used it all the time to talk to my brother and friends

Really pissed off tbh pic.twitter.com/9oH305yGdc

— Jarrod Norwell (Antique) (@antique_codes) April 10, 2024

Over on Reddit, Suyu founder u/The_Crimson_Hawk, released a statement that shared their plans moving forward, such as creating backups and gathering their legal team. As of writing, Suyu has yet to receive a response from Discord. They’ve also confirmed on a different Reddit post that they will continue developing the emulator.

Founder speaking: Current Situation and Future Plans
byu/The_Crimson_Hawk insuyu

The Verge reported that both Suyu and Sadachi were different to its predecessor, claiming that their code “wouldn’t piss off Nintendo.” It was also reported that the emulator developers received vague messages for the recent shutdown. However, a statement was released by Discord’s Director of Product Communication, Kellyn Slone, stating that there was a “court order injunction” for the takedown. Discord was also only complying with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act request.

“Discord responds to and complies with all legal and valid Digital Millennium Copyright Act requests. In this instance, there was also a court-ordered injunction for the takedown of these materials, and we took action in a manner consistent with the court order.”

TropicHaze, the developer of yuzu and Citra, settled with Nintendo back in early March 2024 after the company received a lawsuit from the gaming giant. According to the settlement, Tropic Haze paid Nintendo USD 2.4 million (~$3.6 million AUD) and it’s no longer allowed to market, distribute, or offer anything to the public involving yuzu and its source code. The emulator’s developers were also ordered to hand over all physical circumvention devices to Nintendo, including modified Nintendo Switch consoles following the lawsuit.

It is currently unknown if the shutdown was due to the possibility of former yuzu developers being attached to these projects. But Nintendo could take action if Suyu and Sadachi devs decide to send a counter-claim notice.