• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechNintendo

Nintendo suffers major hack affecting 160,000 online accounts

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 24, 2020, 2:24 PM ET

Nintendo said Friday that personal information from about 160,000 online accounts may have been exposed in a major hack.

The company, which makes the Switch gaming console, said on a support page (published in Japanese) that hackers “obtained illegally” the personal IDs and passwords of the affected accounts. Additionally, it said the hackers had attempted to log in to an unspecific number of accounts by using the stolen information in early April.

The hack comes amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to a surge in Nintendo Switch sales as people seek to entertain themselves while quarantined. Research firm NPD Group said earlier this week that Nintendo Switch sales in March had “more than doubled when compared to a year ago.”

As a result of the hack, the company is disabling the ability for people to log on to their online Nintendo accounts with their Nintendo Network ID. The company also said that it would reset the passwords for the accounts that hackers may have tried to access.

Some of the personal information that may have been exposed include people’s names, date of birth, country, gender, and email addresses. No credit card information was exposed, Nintendo said. 

The company said it would notify impacted users by sending them emails telling them that their passwords had been reset. It urged those affected users to “please avoid reusing the password that you have already used for other services.”

“In the future, we will make further efforts to strengthen security and ensure safety so that similar events do not occur,” Nintendo said on a translated version of the support page.

Nintendo recommend that its customers set up two-step authentication for their Nintendo accounts as an added security measure.

More must-read tech coverage from Fortune:

—How a pharmacy delivery startup has capitalized on the coronavirus pandemic
—SBA website leaks personal data of 8,000 small-business loan applicants
—Is A.I. better at diagnosing illnesses than doctors? Don’t believe all the hype
—What Seattle and San Francisco can teach us about mitigating the scourge of COVID-19
—Listen to Leadership Next, a Fortune podcast examining the evolving role of CEO
—WATCH: Best earbuds in 2020: Apple AirPods Pro Vs. Sony WF-1000XM3

Catch up with Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily digest on the business of tech.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

Paramount
BankingM&A
Warner Bros. is blockbuster finale to $4.5 trillion M&A haul
By Michelle F. Davis, David Carnevali, Ryan Gould, Swetha Gopinath and BloombergDecember 15, 2025
3 hours ago
slop
CybersecurityCulture
The word of the year is ‘slop,’ Merriam-Webster says
By Anna Furman and The Associated PressDecember 15, 2025
3 hours ago
C-Suitechief financial officer (CFO)
‘2026 has to be a year of execution’: AI investment pressures, supply-chain risks, and strategy misalignment are all on the line for CFOs
By Alex Zank and CFO BrewDecember 15, 2025
5 hours ago
Photo of Jim Farley
North AmericaAutos
Ford writes down $19.5 billion as it pivots electric Lighting line of vehicles
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 15, 2025
5 hours ago
InnovationElectric vehicles
Rivian CEO says the EV maker’s new large driving model will one day allow for fully autonomous driving—and maybe a spot in the robotaxi race
By Jordyn Grzelewski and Tech BrewDecember 15, 2025
5 hours ago
Big TechMeta
Former Meta integrity chief says new report reveals ‘disappointing’ ad fraud epidemic at the social media giant
By Lily Mae LazarusDecember 15, 2025
6 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
'I had to take 60 meetings': Jeff Bezos says 'the hardest thing I've ever done' was raising the first million dollars of seed capital for Amazon
By Dave SmithDecember 15, 2025
9 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Meetings are not work, says Southwest Airlines CEO—and he’s taking action, by blocking his calendar every afternoon from Wednesday to Friday 
By Preston ForeDecember 15, 2025
11 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Sorry, six-figure earners: Elon Musk says that money will 'disappear' in the future as AI makes work (and salaries) irrelevant
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 15, 2025
12 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Deloitte's CTO on a stunning AI transformation stat: Companies are spending 93% on tech and only 7% on people
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 15, 2025
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
19 days ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
A 'new era' in the housing market is about to begin as affordability finally improves 'for the first time in a bunch of years,' economist says
By Jason MaDecember 14, 2025
1 day ago