Nintendo has filed a federal lawsuit against Colorado-based content creator Jesse Keighin for allegedly streaming pirated versions of unreleased Switch games, seeking damages that could exceed $7.5 million.
The lawsuit, filed in Colorado federal court on November 6, alleges that Keighin, who operates under the name “Every Game Guru,” repeatedly streamed unauthorized footage of high-profile Nintendo titles before their official release dates. Among the leaked games were “Mario and Luigi: Brothership,” “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom,” and “Super Mario Party Jamboree.”
According to the complaint, Keighin not only ignored “dozens” of copyright takedown notices from Nintendo’s legal team but also taunted the company through email, stating he had “a thousand burner channels” and could “do this all day.”
The gaming giant claims Keighin has leaked at least ten Switch games on more than 50 occasions since 2022. In one recent incident, he allegedly streamed “Super Mario Party Jamboree” on the Kick platform six days before its October 17 release date. Another violation involved streaming “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” on YouTube five days before its official launch.
Nintendo’s legal team asserts that Keighin used Switch emulators to play the pirated games during his streams. The company also alleges that he actively promoted piracy by sharing links to emulators like Yuzu and Ryujinx during his broadcasts.
The situation escalated after Nintendo successfully shut down Keighin’s monetized YouTube channel, which had approximately 1,730 subscribers. Rather than cease his activities, Keighin allegedly switched to including a CashApp handle in his streams, continuing to profit from the unauthorized content.
The roots of Switch game piracy can be traced back to 2018 when the console was first jailbroken due to a physical vulnerability that has since been patched. This breakthrough accelerated the development of Switch emulators and made it easier for pirates to distribute games before their official release dates.
Nintendo is seeking maximum statutory damages of $150,000 per copyright infringement. With over 50 alleged violations, the total damages sought could exceed $7.5 million.
