Case Timeline:

• February 26, 2024: Nintendo files a lawsuit against Tropic Haze, the developer behind the Yuzu emulator, in the US District Court of Rhode Island. The lawsuit targets the emulator for facilitating piracy on a significant scale, especially highlighting the illegal distribution and downloading of “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” over a million times before its official release​​​​. Links : Nintendo files lawsuit against Yuzu | Nintendo Goes Against Creators of Yuzu
• February 27, 2024: Details emerge about the lawsuit, with Nintendo accusing Yuzu of circumventing the console’s encryption to facilitate piracy. The suit seeks damages and aims for the closure of the Yuzu project, which allows for enhanced gameplay of Nintendo titles on platforms like PC, often with improved resolution and overall image quality. It is highlighted that Yuzu’s Patreon supporters doubled following the leak of “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom,” indicating a direct benefit from piracy activities​​. Links: Nintendo Sues Creators of Switch Emulator Yuzu
• February 28, 2024: Further information about the lawsuit is publicized, including Nintendo’s claims against Tropic Haze for violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by enabling users to bypass Nintendo Switch’s encryption to play copyrighted games. The lawsuit also highlights the role of Yuzu in the significant leak of “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” which was downloaded more than a million times before its launch​​​​.
• Early March 2024: The lawsuit between Nintendo and Tropic Haze quickly reaches a settlement. Tropic Haze agrees to pay Nintendo $2.4 million and to cease all operations related to Yuzu. This includes the development, distribution, and promotion of Yuzu, as well as the deletion of all copies of Yuzu, related development tools, and modified Nintendo hardware. Tropic Haze also agrees to transfer the yuzu-emu.org domain to Nintendo and to discontinue any activities that circumvent Nintendo’s copyright protections. This settlement impacts Citra, a Nintendo 3DS emulator developed by the same team.
• Following the Settlement: The developers behind Yuzu and Citra publicly announce the discontinuation of both projects. They cite the unintended facilitation of piracy as contrary to their original goals of sharing their passion for Nintendo’s games and consoles. They express disappointment in how their software was used for piracy, including the early leak of “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.” In response to the settlement, they take immediate action to pull their code repositories offline and shut down their Patreon accounts and Discord servers.
  

This timeline encapsulates Nintendo’s determined effort to combat piracy and protect its intellectual property, showcasing the legal and ethical challenges associated with game emulation. The settlement with Tropic Haze serves as a pivotal moment in this ongoing debate, highlighting the consequences for projects that potentially enable copyright infringement.

Read More on the topic:

Nintendo Targets Yuzu Emulator in Legal Battle Over Piracy Claims

Read on the Verge: intendo Switch emulator Yuzu will utterly fold and pay $2.4M to settle its lawsuit