Using a Nintendo Switch with a banned Nintendo account is like living in purgatory.
Sean Buckley / CNET
It all started with Fortnite.
My brother started playing during the 2020 blockade and wanted me to show him what this “real battle” thing was. Epic Games’ popular spin on the genre seemed like a good place to start, but there was a problem: the game didn’t download.
My Nintendo Switch said that “an error caused the download to be suspended”. That “Nintendo’s purchase account could not be used.”
I signed in to my Nintendo account from a web browser and confirmed my worst fear.
Nintendo banned my account, effectively blocking my switch from accessing any online service – including online games, new downloads and even my existing game library. In an instant, I lost access to hundreds of dollars in digital games. Poof. Gone, with no resources available to me. The only option that Nintendo offered was an “exit” button, effectively showing me the door.
It didn’t take me long to find out what had happened.
In April 2020, 300,000 Nintendo accounts were compromised in an attack that used old passwords from the defunct Nintendo Network ID account system. The hackers discovered that they could log into vulnerable Nintendo accounts and make purchases in the eShop using the payment information saved from the account. And coming in Fifteen days with a separate account first, the attacker can use the compromised account’s credit card to buy vBucks, Fortnite game currency.
This happened to me in May. At that time, I immediately contacted Nintendo to dispute the $ 100 charge for Fortnite vBucks, stating that the purchase was not authorized and that the refund would be made by my payment provider. Nintendo’s customer service representative looked good with this. Nintendo was familiar with the hack and was not opposed to reversing the charge. Everything was going well in the world.
Until, six months later, when Nintendo banned my account without explanation.
I called Nintendo about the unexpected ban. It turns out that I hadn’t been hacked again, Nintendo flagged my account for the original hack, half a year after it happened. I explained what happened in May, but that particular customer service representative was not familiar with the attack that compromised 300,000 accounts. In fact, they seemed shocked to learn that a hacker could use the payment method saved from a Nintendo account to steal Fortnite vBucks. However, they confirmed the ban and worked to resolve the problem a second time.
Nintendo asked me to wait a few days while they referred the case to the finance department. In the meantime, I decided to find out what my Nintendo Switch could still do with a banned account.
The answer: not much.
Using a Nintendo Switch with a banned Nintendo account is like living in purgatory. The console has so many entertainment possibilities, but it blocks you in almost every corner. Want to download something from your digital games library? Sorry, your account cannot be used.
How about checking your friends list to see what all your friends with valid accounts are playing? Try it out, and Nintendo Switch will ask you to sign in to a blocked account. Try this and you will be informed that “the information entered is incorrect”.
It’s the same story for browsing the eShop, updating games, or accessing anything that uses online functionality, including Super Mario 35, the Nintendo Switch Online NES and SNES game libraries, and playing online in any game. Physical playing cards and previously downloaded games can be played, but that’s all. So, it’s purgatory, but with Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Can be worse.
The most difficult limitation was not what the ban did to me, it was what it did to my family. To play Nintendo Switch games online, you need to sign up for Nintendo Switch Online Service, and multiple Switch consoles can be registered under a single family plan to save money. As the primary account holder for our Nintendo Switch Online Family Membership, my ban effectively excluded my entire family group from online play. My wife couldn’t play Animal Crossing with her friends, and my brother’s quest to catch the Fortnite battle bus was thwarted. Worse, none of them knew what was going on or why. Their online game was … broken, without explanation.
After waiting a day for a solution, I got impatient and called back. This time, Nintendo’s customer service agent referred me to a higher level of support. I knew things were getting serious when the music on hold changed from the generic, easy-to-hear Opus Number One to the winning theme of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s Hyrule Field.
The second customer service representative heard my story and quickly resolved the issue, restoring my account within minutes. Even so, the resolution was a little unsettling: despite major news from CNET, CNN and Forbes earlier that year, the agent was completely unaware of the hack that left 300,000 Nintendo accounts compromised. In fact, Nintendo didn’t seem to believe me, ending the conversation not with an apology, but with a warning: Nintendo will cancel the ban on a suspended account only once. Next time, I will be out of luck.
In other words, “don’t let that happen again”.
If your Nintendo account has multiple log-ins from other countries, you may have been hacked.
CNET
Nintendo promised me that if it happened again, and it was a hack, they would look it up on a case-by-case basis, but the way I was informed about this policy seemed a little threatening. I may have evidence that my account was accessed multiple times outside the country before the fraudulent charge occurred, but for Nintendo, it still looks like someone has issued a chargeback on a non-refundable purchase. This is against the Nintendo account user agreement. Even if it takes six months for someone to notice.
CNET contacted Nintendo for official comments and advice on what customers should do if they find themselves in a similar situation. We will update this piece if we receive a response.
Anyway, I had my happy ending. Finally, my account was restored. My library was accessible again and my Nintendo Switch Online family plan was active on my account, my wife’s account and my brother’s account. Finally, I would be able to introduce you to the concept of a “Battle Royale” sniper.
I went back to where my problems started and downloaded Fortnite. The game’s home screen loaded and instantly encouraged me to buy a Battle Pass and load my account with vBucks.
No thank you. I think I’ll pass. On second thought, maybe I’ll just build my brother a gaming PC then he can play PUBG.