Nintendo wins $4.5 million judgment against former Reddit moderator accused of Switch piracy
Nintendo has secured another major legal victory in its long-running battle against video game piracy. A U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington has ordered James Williams, known online as “Archbox,” to pay $4.5 million in damages after Nintendo accused him of distributing pirated Nintendo Switch games and helping operate piracy-focused online communities.
Williams was formerly a moderator of the now-defunct r/SwitchPirates subreddit, a community that reportedly had more than 190,000 members. Nintendo alleged that he used his position in that community to promote pirated Switch games, direct users to piracy shops, and help expand access to illegally copied Nintendo titles.
The case began in March 2024, when Nintendo sent Williams a cease-and-desist letter after collecting evidence of his alleged activities. According to Nintendo’s court filings, Williams had been involved since 2019 in the ownership, management, operation, promotion, or support of several online “pirate shops” used to distribute Nintendo Switch games without authorization.
Nintendo claimed that Williams played a central role in multiple piracy operations. The company alleged that he promoted pirate shops through Reddit, distributed games for free, and requested Nintendo eShop gift cards as “donations” to obtain more titles that had not yet been pirated. Some of the shops allegedly offered a “Pro” tier, where users who donated gift cards could gain access to games before they were made widely available through piracy channels.
The company also accused Williams of being a leading figure in an online group known as “Missing Dumps.” Nintendo said the group worked to obtain eShop gift cards and use them to acquire Switch games that had not yet been copied and distributed. Those games could then be added to piracy libraries and shared through online shops.
Another major part of Nintendo’s complaint focused on software used to bypass Nintendo Switch protections. The company alleged that Williams helped create, promote, and distribute tools that allowed pirated Switch games to run on modified hardware, weakening Nintendo’s anti-piracy systems and contributing to unauthorized game distribution.
Williams reportedly deleted his Reddit account and stopped his activities after receiving Nintendo’s cease-and-desist letter. However, the court found that he did not properly respond to Nintendo’s complaint. U.S. District Judge Lauren King noted that Williams and his attorney were aware of the case, especially because he had hired a lawyer to object to a Google subpoena, but he still failed to formally acknowledge or respond to the lawsuit.
Nintendo also pointed to past online posts in which Williams allegedly described himself as a “pirate” and said he was not going to pay Nintendo $50 for a game. These statements were used to support Nintendo’s argument that the infringement was intentional.
The court granted Nintendo the statutory maximum of $150,000 per infringed title for 30 Nintendo Switch games, bringing the total damages to $4.5 million. The games included some of Nintendo’s biggest releases, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Judge King stated that Williams’ infringement activities were serious enough to justify a substantial penalty. The court also found Nintendo’s estimate of lost sales reasonable, especially when considering the popularity of the games involved and an assumed retail price of around $50 per title.
Interestingly, Nintendo did not ask the court for additional damages under the DMCA or for attorneys’ fees. The court described that decision as a sign of reasonableness, even as it approved the full $4.5 million damages request.
Alongside the financial penalty, the court issued a permanent injunction against Williams. He is now barred from pirating, distributing, or promoting Nintendo games, as well as creating or sharing software designed to bypass protections on Nintendo Switch titles. He must also shut down any remaining pirate shops or related operations and disable social media accounts used to promote piracy or pirated content.
The ruling sends a clear message about Nintendo’s aggressive stance against Switch piracy. The company has repeatedly pursued individuals and groups involved in distributing unauthorized copies of its games, and this case shows that even community moderators and online promoters can face severe legal and financial consequences.
For Nintendo, the judgment is another high-profile win in its effort to protect its games, hardware ecosystem, and digital storefront. For the wider gaming community, it is a reminder that sharing, promoting, or enabling pirated games can carry consequences far beyond account bans or takedown notices.
