Nintendo sent GitHub a DMCA takedown notice on November 6, 2026, and GitHub responded by disabling 144 repositories connected to open-source Nintendo Switch modchip firmware.
In that November 6 notice, Nintendo said firmware tied to projects like Picofly, HWFLY, SX Core, and SX Lite gets around the Switch’s protection measures by bypassing secure boot, which lets unauthorized code run. Nintendo’s position is that the DMCA bars distribution of circumvention tools even when the code itself is open source.
This hits harder on newer patched Switch models, including the Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch OLED. Older units had a hardware flaw that couldn’t be patched. Newer ones usually need a physical modchip plus voltage-glitching firmware if you want to run homebrew, install Linux, use custom themes, mod games, emulate, or overclock.
For people who follow Switch modding, the bigger story is where Nintendo is aiming here. It’s not just going after hardware sellers anymore. It’s also targeting the code underneath, after earlier wins connected to Team-Xecuter, a $2 million judgment against Modded Hardware, and the $2.4 million Yuzu settlement.
You’ll probably notice the immediate effect more if you’re trying to set up a new install or grab firmware updates than if you already have a working setup. Some related repositories also seemed to remain online at first, so counter-notices could still shift the situation. The affected firmware repositories were hosted on GitHub.
That shift is what makes the earlier GitHub takedowns worth keeping in view: the new notice goes after firmware tied to the modchip ecosystem, not just the sellers around it. GitHub has already disabled 144 repositories, and the spread of projects named in the notice shows how broad Nintendo’s anti-circumvention push has become. The pattern is clear enough that even repositories that stayed up at first may not be safe for long.
Author: Manuel Bosque
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"fr-FR": "Manuel Bosque couvre les logiciels chez Softonic : programmes de bureau, outils de productivité et petits utilitaires qui résolvent bien un seul problème. Son approche est pratique — ce qu'un logiciel fait vraiment, ce qu'il demande en échange et à qui il s'adresse —, d'où sa méfiance envers les listes de fonctionnalités et sa préférence pour l'essai. Il fait partie de l'équipe qui définit la manière de traiter le logiciel sur le site et travaille au quotidien avec des outils d'IA appliqués à la production éditoriale.",
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