Nintendo Switch eShop Closes Down in Russia

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, several prominent game publishers ceased releasing games in the region. Nintendo stopped releasing physical games in the country last year, and now it seems gamers will not be able to access digital titles from the Nintendo Switch eShop, either. According to an email obtained by Game Developer, Nintendo of Europe has dropped nearly all support for the Russian eShop as of May 31st. While users are no longer able to make new game purchases, they will still be able to use the eShop in a limited capacity, mostly to redownload software that has already been purchased.

"As a result of the economic outlook, Nintendo of Europe has decided to wind down operations of its Russian subsidiary. As part of our efforts to honor preceding commitments to our customers in the Russian market, the Russian version of Nintendo eShop will be set to offer limited service," the email reads. "As of May 31, 2023, and for the foreseeable future, Russian customers with an existing Nintendo Account will be able to redownload digital content that they have previously purchased. It will not be possible to make any new purchases or use download codes within [the] Nintendo eShop in Russia."

While this will be no doubt frustrating to Switch owners in Russia, it's possible there could be a workaround. Presumably, Switch owners will be able to change their region in order to access other versions of the eShop, but it's impossible to say without testing it. Regardless, it seems Nintendo of Europe does not see a benefit to continuing to support the region.

This is actually the second time a Nintendo decision was seemingly influenced by the war in Ukraine. Last year, Nintendo made the decision to indefinitely delay the release of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp. While Nintendo did not explicitly cite the war as the reason behind the delay, the company did attribute the decision to "recent world events." Given the fact that the game's events begin with an invasion led by a country inspired by Russia, it's not difficult to see why that decision was made. The game was finally released back in April.

Are you surprised Nintendo has stopped supporting game releases in Russia? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter and on Hive at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!