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Nintendo Locks User Account Over Used Games

A Nintendo Switch 2 in the docking station
Nintendo has suspended a user account. Photo: Getty Images
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July 14, 2025, 1:32 pm | Read time: 3 minutes

Nintendo has long been one of the largest producers of video games and related hardware. With consoles and brands like the Nintendo Switch and “Super Mario,” the company has celebrated great success for decades. To ensure this continues, Nintendo has always taken a particularly strict stance on piracy. At times, the consensus is that they go too far, such as when harmless fan projects are shut down. Recently, Nintendo even suspended a user account, although the affected individual did nothing wrong.

Nintendo Suspended User Account Over Used Game

This is reported by a user on the online platform Reddit. According to the user, they had previously purchased four used games for the Switch 1 on the Facebook Marketplace and wanted to use them on the new Switch 2. After downloading some patches, the user discovered the next day that access to online services was suddenly missing because Nintendo had suspended the user account.

According to their own statements, they then contacted Nintendo’s support and explained the situation. The issue was quickly and easily resolved, and the user was able to use their Switch 2 as usual. But why did Nintendo suspend the user account in the first place?

Nintendo Suspended User Account Due to Duplicate ID

The sale and purchase of used games is entirely legal. Therefore, this should not have been the reason Nintendo suddenly suspended a user account. It is more likely that the previous owner of the used games did not always act in compliance with the rules.

The reason could be a so-called MIG Switch. This refers to a flash card that allows users to load multiple games simultaneously—both legally purchased and illegal ones. Naturally, Nintendo wants to prevent the use and distribution of the latter as much as possible. The company can uniquely identify each game module. As reported by sources such as “4P,” Nintendo immediately suspends the user account if users attempt to start games from the MIG Switch on the Switch 2.

Also of interest: Nintendo can render your Switch unusable

If a previous owner of a game, for example, loaded it onto a MIG Switch or used it in another illicit manner, the manufacturer can see this because the same ID number appears in two places simultaneously.

More on the topic

Solution Quickly Found

In such a case, the system assumes piracy, which is why Nintendo may suspend a user account. It is unfortunate that this process can also affect innocent users. According to the Reddit user, it was sufficient to submit photos of the game cards and the purchase history on Facebook to have the account reactivated. The purchase of used games is legal. However, fans can never be sure what the previous owner did with the respective copy of the game.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TECHBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@techbook.de.

Topics #SimOnMobile News Nintendo Switch Video games
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