FBI Shuts Down Websites Distributing Pirated Games
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has seized the domain names of several websites tied to game piracy, including the long-targeted NSW2U[.]com, a site that Nintendo has been battling for years.
According to TorrentFreak, the operation was carried out in cooperation with international law enforcement, including the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service—a division of the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst). It remains unclear whether the action was limited to domain seizures or if arrests or charges were also made.
A Network of Piracy Sites Taken Down
The FBI confiscated multiple domains linked to some of the most well-known game piracy sites:
- NSW2U[.]com
- Game-2u[.]com
- BigNGame[.]com
- ps4pkg[.]com
- mgnetu[.]com
- nswdl[.]com
Between February 28 and May 28, 2025, law enforcement reports estimate these sites facilitated over 3.2 million illegal downloads, causing more than $170 million in losses to rights holders.
Now, visitors to these domains are redirected to a standard law enforcement seizure banner, and DNS servers have been updated to point to fbi.seized.gov, a government-controlled website previously used in similar anti-piracy efforts.
NSW2U and Industry Pressure
NSW2U[.]com had been labeled a "notorious market" by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in early 2025. Three of the other domains taken down were also cited as "associated sites" in enforcement documents.
The USTR typically relies on input from rights holders when compiling its piracy reports. In this case, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA)—a U.S.-based trade group representing video game publishers—highlighted these domains in its submission.
According to the ESA, NSW2U linked directly to Game-2u[.]com, ps4pkg[.]com, and BigNGame[.]com, each of which offered pirated content tailored to different platforms.
“Pre-release piracy is particularly harmful to ESA member companies, as it allows users to download pirated copies of video games before consumers even have the chance to choose and purchase legitimate copies,” the ESA stated.
Platform-Specific Piracy
Journalists and investigators point out that while NSW2U primarily focused on Nintendo Switch releases, the other domains specialized in PlayStation and general console content, suggesting a coordinated effort to offer pirated games across multiple ecosystems.
According to the ESA—which represents industry giants like Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft—NSW2U hosted thousands of links to pirated games, including numerous high-profile titles leaked before their official release.
The Bigger Picture
While this crackdown marks a major win for game publishers, the long-term effectiveness of domain seizures remains to be seen. Piracy sites often reappear under new domain names or migrate to decentralized platforms.
Still, the operation underscores that global law enforcement agencies are increasingly targeting the infrastructure behind digital piracy, especially when industry pressure and intellectual property violations intersect.
Game over—for now.
