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Nintendo Forces GitHub to Disable 144 Switch Modchip Firmware Repositories

Nintendo says the firmware circumvents Switch boot protections by enabling unlawful copies of games.

Overview

  • GitHub removed a network of 144 repositories after receiving a DMCA notice from Nintendo that named a parent repository and led to forks being disabled.
  • Nintendo told GitHub the firmware is designed to bypass the Switch boot sequence and other technical protections so modchips can run unauthorized game copies.
  • The takedown targeted open‑source firmware used by hardware modchips such as Picofly, SX Core, SX Lite and HWFLY, which perform voltage glitching at boot to load unsigned code.
  • Reports note the removals were broad but not total because some related repositories and possible original sources for firmware remained accessible after the action.
  • The move extends Nintendo’s recent pattern of aggressive DMCA enforcement against Switch emulation and hacking tools and draws on prior Team‑Xecuter prosecutions to justify the request.