Nintendo Removes a 3DS Game with a Console Hacking Exploit

In February, IronFall: Invasion was released on the 3DS eShop. The free-to-play game reached 300,000 downloads, but recently became much more popular. This surge in popularity was from a console hacking exploit that allowed users to add their own software to the 3DS.

Jordan Rabet discovered an exploit last year that allowed him to bypass 3DS security systems and add unofficial games to the console through the game Cubic Ninja. Users began adding NES emulators, ports of games like Minecraft, and pirated games to their 3DS systems before the exploit was patched out.

When Rabet discovered a way to replicate the homebrew exploit through IronFall, he uploaded a video showing his progress and encouraged people to download the game.

Shortly after this, Nintendo Europe tweeted that the game would be temporarily removed from the eShop.

IRONFALL Invasion is temporarily unavailable on Nintendo eShop. Apologies for the inconvenience. Stay tuned for more information.

— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) August 11, 2015

The game is still unavailable to download, but it’s likely that it will be patched and reinstated soon.

Many homebrew projects on 3DS are used to play region locked games or even create unique titles. However, the system can also be used to play illegally downloaded games easily, which explains why Nintendo is so quick to shut down anything related to 3DS homebrew.