Pirates have had their hands on Pokemon Sun and Moon for several days now, but their sordid ways caught up with them this week. Several reports have started pouring in from places like 4chan, Reddit and the GBATemp forums -- all claiming they got hit with Error Code: 002-0121. In other words, Nintendo oiled up the banhammer and got to work. Those struck with the error can no longer play online or access the eShop. The latter stings especially, since it means users cannot redownload any previously-purchased content that isn't already on their 3DS.
Though there has been some speculation from pirates that the ban is only 15 days long, they might just be in the "Bargaining" phase of the five stages of grief. Nintendo's statement to Polygon has a ring of finality to it.
"As a result of a number of Nintendo 3DS users using unauthorized versions of several games, and connecting to the official game servers in violation of our terms of service, these users' Nintendo 3DS systems that stored the unauthorized game code have been banned from Nintendo's online network effective immediately."
There's some rumbling about a possible fix for these pirates, one that sounds pretty complicated, but as of now they're screwed. For everyone who didn't get banned, there's plenty of schadenfreude to be had reading all the frantic and frustrated complaints.
>people brag for a week and a half for getting pokemon sun/moon early>their whole console gets banned online pic.twitter.com/PKzY2OSrTh -- Top Kek Jek (@TopKekJek) November 16, 2016
>people brag for a week and a half for getting pokemon sun/moon early>their whole console gets banned online pic.twitter.com/PKzY2OSrTh
People banned because pirating new Pokémon game then scream I'm never BUYING Nintendo games again got me like pic.twitter.com/3Tie68N9Ys -- Shep (@SootySheepu) November 16, 2016
People banned because pirating new Pokémon game then scream I'm never BUYING Nintendo games again got me like pic.twitter.com/3Tie68N9Ys
My reaction when I see people who pirated Pokemon Sun and Moon get banned from playing online and going to the eshop pic.twitter.com/Je3uYe4GYV -- Snowyb20 (@Rickyb20_AE) November 16, 2016
My reaction when I see people who pirated Pokemon Sun and Moon get banned from playing online and going to the eshop pic.twitter.com/Je3uYe4GYV
When everyone is getting banned by Nintendo for downloading Pokémon Sun and Moon illegally but you waited patiently. pic.twitter.com/116klYDvpb -- Omni (@InfernoOmni) November 16, 2016
When everyone is getting banned by Nintendo for downloading Pokémon Sun and Moon illegally but you waited patiently. pic.twitter.com/116klYDvpb