Heads up, this one is messy: the Sid Meier’s Civilization VII cartridge for the original Switch has reportedly been pulled from shelves, according to a report published on Thursday (5) by Notebookcheck, days after the game became the entry point for CivSwitch, the exploit that opens the Switch 2 to homebrew, as we explained in our coverage of the PS5 security update and CivSwitch. The important part: neither 2K, the game’s publisher, nor Nintendo had confirmed any recall by the time this article was published.
What was reported
The story started on Reddit. User MaruluVR shared the message a German Amazon reseller sent to a fellow homebrew enthusiast who had bought the boxed version of Civilization VII for Switch. The order could not be processed because, in the words of the notice, the “publisher has withdrawn the physical version (game cartridge)” due to “technical and security-related requirements”. The seller said it had been instructed to recall the title and offered alternatives: for Switch 2 owners, the code-in-box release, which includes the upgrade for the new console; otherwise, a cancellation and refund.
According to Notebookcheck, the seller itself seemed unaware of the exploit and found the recall puzzling, but the community sees the timing as too coincidental: since CivSwitch emerged, the game has been selling for higher prices on eBay, and other Reddit users have reported cancelled orders. The site says it is unclear whether Nintendo asked 2K to restrict the physical media; the precedent it cites is SmileBASIC 4, which Nintendo removed from the eShop for being the entry point of the ns2jb exploit. Worth repeating: this is a reseller’s and users’ account, with no official statement.
Why a cartridge becomes a door
CivSwitch, released by developer Gezine on November 1, uses a flaw in the game’s multiplayer chat to run custom code on the Switch 2 and requires an unpatched Civilization VII cartridge (version 1.0.0) plus a microcontroller connected to the console. It is user-level access, not a full jailbreak, but the scene treats it as a meaningful step. GBAtemp had already noted that when an exploit depends on a physical game, copies vanish from shops and rise in price. SavePoint reports that this exists, but does not point to where to download it or how to do it.
The risks and the legal way
Real talk: tampering with the console is expensive: a console and account ban from Nintendo’s network, loss of warranty, the risk of bricking the system, and fake files carrying malware under the exploit’s name. Anyone who just wants to play Civilization VII needs none of that: on the US eShop, the Switch version costs $59.99, on sale for $29.99 as of Nov 5, and there is a digital Switch 2 edition. If you follow the preservation scene, the story continues in our coverage of the 60 fps mod for Mario & Luigi: Brothership and in our guide to games ported to the browser and PC, with projects that do not distribute commercial games. We will update this article if 2K or Nintendo comment.
Sources: Notebookcheck, Mezha, GBAtemp and Nintendo.
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