# What happened to Ryujinx?

> Ryujinx, the open-source Nintendo Switch emulator, shut down in October 2024 after its lead developer reached an agreement with Nintendo.

Ryujinx, the best-known open-source Nintendo Switch emulator for PC, shut down on October 1, 2024. Its lead developer, known as gdkchan, was contacted by Nintendo and reached an agreement to stop all work on the project; the official GitHub repository and downloads were taken offline the same day. The terms of the agreement were never made public.

## Timeline

- **2017–2018:** gdkchan started Ryujinx as a C# project. Over the years it grew into a team effort with many contributors and became known for accuracy and good game compatibility.
- **February-March 2024:** Nintendo sued Tropic Haze, the developer of the rival Switch emulator **Yuzu**, on February 26; the case was settled on March 4 for $2.4 million, and Yuzu and its sister 3DS emulator Citra were shut down. Many Yuzu users moved to Ryujinx.
- **October 1, 2024:** Ryujinx's developers announced that the project was ending after gdkchan's agreement with Nintendo. The repository, the official builds and the team's coordination stopped.

## Why Nintendo went after Switch emulators

Emulation itself is generally considered legal in the US, but Nintendo argues that Switch emulators are used mainly to play pirated copies of its games, often before release. In the Yuzu case, Nintendo pointed to *The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom* being downloaded and played on emulators ahead of its launch in 2023. Nintendo also objected to emulators that rely on decryption keys taken from the console. Instead of fighting long court cases, both major Switch emulator projects chose to shut down.

## What it means for players

- **No official updates:** Ryujinx no longer receives official fixes or compatibility improvements, and its official website and builds are gone.
- **Old copies still exist:** because the code was open source, copies and community forks appeared, but they are unofficial and are not run by the original team. Downloads posted on random sites are a common way to spread malware.
- **The legal way to play Switch games** is on a Switch or Switch 2 console, with games bought from Nintendo or retailers.

## FAQ

**Was Ryujinx illegal?**
No court ruled against Ryujinx; the project ended through an agreement with Nintendo. The legal risk around Switch emulation mostly concerns pirated games and copied console keys.

**Is Ryujinx coming back?**
The original team has not announced any return. Any build you find now is unofficial.

**What happened to Yuzu?**
Nintendo sued Yuzu's developer in February 2024, and the case was settled in March 2024 for $2.4 million. Yuzu and Citra were taken down.

**Can a modded Switch play online?**
Nintendo regularly bans modified consoles from its online services, so a hacked Switch risks losing online access permanently.

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https://gamevoyages.com/what-happened-to-ryujinx/ · Game Voyage · Checked 2026-10-31