Japanese Speedrunning Charity Receives Legal Warning from Nintendo

According to the announcement issued by RTA in Japan, Nintendo notified them on June 13 that, in order to feature the company’s games in their event, “as a legal entity, they would have to ask for permission in advance.” They also stated that all previous instances of Nintendo games streamed at RTA were considered “unauthorized.”

RTA in Japan is a nonprofit organization; the revenue they receive from viewership and subscriptions goes to a variety of charities. Nintendo’s problem, however, lies in the fact that in 2020 RTA officially became a non-profit general incorporated association.

Going forward, RTA in Japan will be required to submit requests in advance for each individual Nintendo game they would like to feature in their events. They were unable to do so for Summer 2025, so the event will not involve any Nintendo-owned titles. RTA’s Nintendo speedruns are incredibly popular; Super Mario 64 brings in the highest viewership for the organization, as reported by Automaton.

Nintendo is notorious for cracking down on third-party events such as speedruns and tournaments featuring their games. A few years ago they shut down Smash World Tour, a grassroots esports circuit for Super Smash Bros. Melee and Ultimate. They’re even harder on emulators, such as Yuzu and Dolphin, despite admitting emulation is technically legal. It is a testament to the (potentially misplaced) dedication of Nintendo’s audience that fans still continue to defend corporations after actions like these.