Nintendo has won a significant legal battle, ordering Reddit moderator James 'archbox' Williams to pay $4.5 million in damages for distributing pirated Switch games. Williams, who was also a leading moderator of the r/SwitchPirates community, was accused of soliciting donations of Nintendo eShop gift cards and copying games for distribution on pirate stores.

In a default judgment, a federal judge ordered Williams to shut down the online stores and social media accounts used for this activity. The case highlights the ongoing struggle between game developers and online piracy.

The $4.5 million award is based on a $150,000 per violation for 30 copyrighted games. Williams was alleged to have promoted online shops offering pirated Nintendo game files and circumvention software, and to have encouraged others to contribute pirated games to his pirate shops.

This legal victory for Nintendo comes amid a series of similar cases, including a recent court ruling in the Netherlands that deemed the sale of Mig flash cartridges for playing pirated games illegal. Such actions underscore the global fight against piracy in the digital age.