Nintendo of Japan today confirmed that around 160,000 Nintendo accounts have been hacked. In response, they have disabled the ability to log into your Nintendo account using your older Nintendo Network ID. These IDs were used on the older 3DS and Wii U gaming systems. Users have the option to link them to their newer Nintendo Account on the Switch. If you have done so, you may be affected by this event. Nintendo says the data that may have been seen by the responsible party is that which is registered to each user’s Nintendo Network ID, which includes:
- Name
- Date of Birth
- Gender
- Country / Region
- and Email Address
This also goes for the same pieces of information in a user’s Nintendo account. Nintendo says this does not include users’ credit card information. The hacks have hit users in a number of countries. However, Nintendo is assuring their users that none of their databases, servers, or services have been breached. Nintendo is continuing to investigate the situation. Disabling the ability to log in using a Nintendo Network ID is a precautionary measure. They think the hackers have used Nintendo Network IDs to get illegal access to some users’ accounts. Some affected users have reported unauthorized purchases of things like in-game currencies for games such as Fortnite appearing on their Nintendo accounts.
Please read important information regarding the discontinuation of Nintendo Account sign-ins using a Nintendo Network ID: https://t.co/u3KRfj5TxK
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 24, 2020
The Nintendo of America support website has also posted an update on the situation. It says that all other ways of logging in are still available. Nintendo is also resetting the passwords on affected accounts and emailing those users to notify them. In this case, you’ll need to set a new password. Additionally, all users are now being encouraged to enable 2-step authentication on their Nintendo account for added protection if they haven’t already done so. If you discover unauthorized activity in your Nintendo account, they advise you to follow their Nintendo Account recovery process.
Overall, 160,000 may be a small fraction of the total user base, but it is still a lot of no doubt unhappy people! Nintendo has apologized for any inconvenience this has caused to its users. In the future they plan to make efforts to further strengthen their security and keep everyone’s accounts safe.
