Nintendo is halting eShop sales in Russia starting today

Nintendo has halted eShop sales in Russia, meaning players in the country will no longer be able to purchase software starting today.

As reported by Game Developer, Nintendo of Europe has reportedly sent around an email to developers alerting them to the change, which came into force on May 31, 2023. According to the outlet, the email read: "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." 

What this means, the email reveals, is that Russian customers with an existing Nintendo Account will still be able to redownload digital content that they've previously purchased from the digital storefront, but they won't be able to purchase new content or use download codes on the Nintendo eShop. Information linked to these Nintendo accounts (eg: credit card and PayPal details) will also apparently be deleted "for security reasons."

This isn't the first time Nintendo has made a decision relating to its customers in Russia. Just over a year ago, Nintendo suspended shipments to Russia due to logistical "volatility." The company also indefinitely delayed the Advanced Wars 1+ 2 remakes "in light of recent world events" around the same time - as we know now, the games ended up releasing in April 2023. 

Nintendo isn't the only company to make a drastic change like this. Since early 2022, companies such as Niantic, Sony, Microsoft, Activision, and more have also taken measures to remove themselves from Russia due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

Find out what it's like for game developers in Ukraine, working and living under the shadow of war.