Nintendo Targets Picofly Switch Modchip Firmware in GitHub DMCA Crackdown

Nintendo has expanded its anti-piracy enforcement efforts by targeting firmware used in Nintendo Switch modchips. The company issued a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice against a GitHub repository associated with Picofly, resulting in the disabling of 144 repositories. The action marks a shift from Nintendo’s previous focus on emulators and software-based hacking tools.

Nintendo Expands Anti-Piracy Enforcement to Switch Modchips

Nintendo has spent years pursuing legal action against devices and software that bypass the Nintendo Switch’s security protections.

In 2020, the company filed lawsuits targeting retailers selling SX Core and SX Lite modchips developed by Team-Xecuter. These devices were designed to circumvent security restrictions on Nintendo Switch consoles.

The legal campaign eventually led to criminal proceedings in the United States and the effective shutdown of Team-Xecuter’s operations.

However, compatible modchip alternatives, including HWFLY and Picofly, continued circulating after the original operation ended.

Nintendo’s latest enforcement action now focuses on the firmware that enables these devices to function.

GitHub Disables 144 Picofly Repositories

In a DMCA notice dated November 6, 2026, Nintendo of America identified the GitHub repository Ansem-SoD/Picofly as a target.

The repository contained information and firmware associated with a Nintendo Switch modchip built around the RP2040-Zero development board.

Although Nintendo specifically identified the main repository, its complaint extended to the broader network of related projects.

Nintendo argued that all or most associated forks contained infringing material. GitHub subsequently disabled the entire network of 144 repositories.

The action represents a significant expansion of Nintendo’s enforcement efforts against Switch modification technology.

Nintendo Says Modchip Firmware Violates DMCA Protections

Nintendo’s complaint centers on the anti-circumvention provisions of the DMCA, which restrict technologies designed to bypass copyright protection systems.

According to Nintendo, the Switch uses technological protection measures, including a secure boot process and cryptographic signatures, to prevent unauthorized software execution.

The company argues that firmware used by Picofly, SX Core, SX Lite and HWFLY modchips circumvents these safeguards.

“The firmware allows Nintendo Switch modchips to illegally circumvent Nintendo’s TPMs in order to run illegal copies of Nintendo Switch games,” Nintendo stated in its notice.

A New Focus Beyond Emulators and Software Tools

Nintendo has previously used GitHub’s DMCA process to target Switch emulators, encryption-key extraction utilities and signature patches.

Earlier enforcement actions included notices against Lockpick_RCM, a tool used to extract encryption keys from Nintendo Switch systems.

However, the latest complaint appears to be Nintendo’s first publicly documented GitHub takedown specifically targeting modchip firmware.

The approximately 90 earlier Nintendo notices in GitHub’s public archive did not explicitly identify modchips as their primary targets.

Team-Xecuter Criminal Case Cited as Legal Precedent

Nintendo supported its complaint by referencing the U.S. criminal prosecution of alleged Team-Xecuter members under case number 2:20-cr-00127-RSL.

Federal authorities indicted three individuals in 2020 over their alleged involvement in distributing circumvention devices.

One defendant, Gary Bowser, pleaded guilty in 2021 to conspiracy charges involving the circumvention of technological protection measures and trafficking in circumvention devices.

He was subsequently sentenced to 40 months in federal prison.

Two other defendants, including alleged Team-Xecuter leader Max Louarn, had not appeared before the U.S. court at the time of the report.

Importantly, Bowser’s guilty plea does not constitute a judicial ruling specifically addressing Picofly firmware.

Nevertheless, Nintendo cited the case to support its argument that modchip technology can violate federal anti-circumvention laws.

Nintendo Also Targets Citron Neo and Yuzu Emulators

Nintendo’s November 6 enforcement campaign extended beyond Picofly firmware.

The company submitted three additional DMCA notices targeting Nintendo Switch emulator projects hosted on GitHub.

One complaint concerned Citron Neo, resulting in the disabling of 71 repositories associated with the emulator.

Two other notices targeted repositories containing copies of the discontinued yuzu emulator.

Repositories Affected by Nintendo’s DMCA Notices

The two yuzu repositories remained accessible, but their source code and commit histories had been removed.

Both repositories instead displayed README files directing visitors to the Internet Archive for archived source code.

Some Picofly and HWFLY Firmware Remains Available

Despite GitHub disabling the targeted Picofly repository network, Nintendo’s enforcement action has not eliminated all publicly available modchip firmware.

Other GitHub repositories containing Picofly and HWFLY firmware remained accessible following the takedown.

Some reportedly included files associated with the original Picofly project, although those repositories were not specifically named in Nintendo’s complaint.

GitHub’s standard DMCA procedures allow affected repository owners to challenge takedowns by submitting counter-notices.

As of the report, no counter-notice had appeared in GitHub’s public archive for the targeted Picofly repository.

Nintendo Continues Its Campaign Against Switch Piracy

Nintendo’s latest DMCA notices demonstrate its continued efforts to restrict tools and technologies capable of bypassing Nintendo Switch security systems.

By targeting modchip firmware alongside emulators, the company is extending its enforcement strategy across both hardware-related and software-based modification methods.

Although alternative firmware repositories remain available, the removal of 144 Picofly-related repositories highlights Nintendo’s increasingly broad approach to protecting its gaming ecosystem and intellectual property.