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What just happened? There’s a rule in life: never do anything that might incur the wrath of Nintendo. The litigious gaming giant’s latest lawsuit has been filed against an accessory maker for revealing mockups of the then-unannounced Switch 2 at CES 2025.
Accessory and peripheral maker Genki made a lot of headlines in January when it showed off an “exact replica” of the Nintendo Switch 2 to the press at CES. The company also published a video showing a 3D render of the handheld.
Genki told IGN that the mockup was based on a real Switch 2 system it had seen and used, but Nintendo said it had never provided such a thing. Genki quickly backtracked on that claim, stating on X that it does “not own or possess a black market console.” It also told a Japanese publication that the mockup was based on leaked information, and that it had never seen a Switch 2.
It was later discovered that one of Nintendo’s lawyers had visited Genki’s CES booth after its Switch 2 mockups started spreading online. The company believed it couldn’t possibly be in trouble as it had never signed any NDA or confidentiality agreement with Nintendo, though it left CES a day early, before the trade show finished.
In the lawsuit filed last week, Nintendo accuses Genki of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and false advertising. It claims that the firm “embarked upon a strategic campaign intended to capitalize on the public interest surrounding Nintendo’s next-generation console.”
Genki walking back its statement about having access to a Switch 2 is also cited in the suit – Nintendo’s lawyers call them “contradictory and inconsistent.” Nintendo also says that Genki promoted its accessories as being compatible with the Switch 2 despite having no access to the console, and used the official Switch logo as part of its promos.
The suit alleges that Genki has continued “to exploit the attention of the media and fan base and usurp and threaten sales of Nintendo’s own accessories,” since CES, which includes its “Genki Direct” event that was shown immediately after Nintendo Direct.
In a recent post on X regarding the situation, Genki confirmed that Nintendo had filed a lawsuit and the company was “taking it seriously and working with legal counsel to respond thoughtfully.”
“What we can say is this: Genki has always been an independent company focused on building innovative gaming accessories for the community we love,” it added.
A Note from the Genki Team
You may have seen that Nintendo recently filed a lawsuit against us. We’re taking it seriously and working with legal counsel to respond thoughtfully.
What we can say is this: Genki has always been an independent company focused on building innovative…
– GENKI (@GenkiThings) May 4, 2025
The lawsuit also states that Nintendo began planning the release of the Switch 2 shortly after the original Switch arrived in 2017.
While the Switch 2’s June 5 release date is hugely anticipated by many, its $449 price has not been well-received. The fact that every first-party Nintendo game will cost $70 or $80, even the old ones, is another contentious subject.
Another example of Nintendo’s love of the legal system came last month when it subpoenaed Discord to identify the person behind the huge “Teraleak” Pokémon leak.
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