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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99View Prime Day Deals Donkey Kong Bananza Switch 2 stock Recommended reading "Oh, you don't like hentai on your Switch?": Dev says Switch 2 needs to fix Nintendo's "pathetic" eShop, and he's not the only one who thinks so Nintendo makes a big change to the eShop ahead of Switch 2, pushing down shovelware but potentially hurting good indies too Nintendo Switch 2 The Switch 2 is here – here's what 28 game developers want from Nintendo's new console, from a "much better" eShop to less painful ports Simulation Games Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for a single day and there's already a Schedule 1 ripoff on the eShop Nintendo Switch 2 Taking notes from Steam, Nintendo lets you hide any Switch virtual game cards you don't want your friends to see, so of course it's already being used to hide hentai games Nintendo Switch 2 The Switch 2 wants to be a do-it-all console, but Nintendo needs more first-party magic to overcome the upcoming handheld's biggest hurdle Nintendo Switch 2 One week of Switch 2 backwards compatibility: The good, the bad, and the bilinear-filtered ugly Nintendo Switch 2 "We have to compete for visibility with bad actors who are just running a grift": Devs hope new Switch 2 eShop rules fight slop and worry good games may get flagged, but Steam is still miles ahead of Nintendo Jordan Gerblick 14 July 2025 New eShop guidelines seem to have taken effect with the launch of the Switch 2 When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: UIGAMES via Nintendo eShop) Nintendo seems to have updated its eShop guidelines in an effort to filter out what's been commonly dubbed "eslop," or slightly more formally, shovelware, and a number of developers talking to IGN shared a similar sense of being encouraged but wanting more. If you haven't noticed, the recommendation pages in a number of gaming storefronts, but most prominently the Switch eShop, have become inundated with low-quality, misleading, seemingly AI-generated, and often adult-themed titles from obscure developers and publishers, making it harder for players to discover genuinely worthwhile indies and thus harder for indie developers to find breakout success. We've seen signs of Nintendo trying to curb the issue, and now IGN reports that it's spoken to multiple developers who have seen the new guidelines first-hand in Nintendo's developer and publishing portal. As of now, it seems they're specific to Japanese and Asian Switch 2 eShops, but it's a strong sign that Nintendo wants to make the platform more user-friendly in general. You may like "Oh, you don't like hentai on your Switch?": Dev says Switch 2 needs to fix Nintendo's "pathetic" eShop, and he's not the only one who thinks so Nintendo makes a big change to the eShop ahead of Switch 2, pushing down shovelware but potentially hurting good indies too The Switch 2 is here – here's what 28 game developers want from Nintendo's new console, from a "much better" eShop to less painful ports The new guidelines reportedly went into effect with the launch of the Switch 2 on June 5 and include restrictions on how many game bundles can be put on sale (five per year in the game's first year and then one additional bundle per each subsequent year until the maximum of eight is reached), seemingly addressing a common complaint stemming from the belief that publishers release bundles in an effort to stay on top of the recommended page. (Image credit: BoggySoft) Nintendo also seems to be cracking down on sensitive content, with new guidelines against distributing titles that "would be considered damaging to the Nintendo brand," mostly centering around overtly sexual content, the sexualization of children, hate and discrimination, and political statements. One guideline reads in full: "It is prohibited to provide inaccurate descriptions of the contents of a product. It is prohibited to provide description of the content of a product as under development if it is not expected to be implemented in the product." I'm curious to see if Nintendo has any plans to address games like Repo Horror, a blatant ripoff of the viral co-op horror game Repo that surfaced on the Switch eShop in April and has since seemingly disappeared. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. One developer IGN spoke with in the wake of Nintendo's updated guidelines still expressed frustration around the platform's discoverability, specifically as it compares to Steam. "[Steam's] algorithm will more or less naturally bury AI slop or very low-effort releases. Sure, not every 'good indie' rises as high as they should but the visibility situation for indies with no marketing budget is significantly better on Steam," they said. "It gives you a shot when you release. "On the Nintendo eShop you just get filed into an endless list of releases never to be seen by anyone. Unless you have a big name outside Nintendo already (like e.g. Balatro last year), it's close to impossible to stand out." Another developer said the new rules "are a step in the right direction" but said "whether they exercise this right to combat slop is an unknown." I asked my Switch 2-having colleague whether the new eShop is a significant improvement over the old one in terms of the amount of shovelware in recommendations, and he said it's a "massive improvement in terms of performance and usability," but couldn't comment on eslop because he mostly buys digital games on PC. IGN reporter Rebekah Valentine said the more targeted sections make it easier to organically find games she's into, but added it's still hard to find relatively unknown, but possibly great, games on the storefront. "The flood of low effort games in digital marketplaces is definitely a concern to me as an indie developer," another developer said. "The space is already wildly competitive, and these stores don't always provide great discoverability (the eShop is particularly bad, even on Switch 2, though at least it runs much faster now!), so it sucks that we have to compete for visibility with bad actors who are just running a grift." May our list of the best Switch 2 games continue to include great indies unburdened by shovelware on the eShop. See more Games News Nintendo Switch 2 Jordan Gerblick Social Links Navigation After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish. 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"Oh, you don't like hentai on your Switch?": Dev says Switch 2 needs to fix Nintendo's "pathetic" eShop, and he's not the only one who thinks so Nintendo makes a big change to the eShop ahead of Switch 2, pushing down shovelware but potentially hurting good indies too The Switch 2 is here – here's what 28 game developers want from Nintendo's new console, from a "much better" eShop to less painful ports Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for a single day and there's already a Schedule 1 ripoff on the eShop Taking notes from Steam, Nintendo lets you hide any Switch virtual game cards you don't want your friends to see, so of course it's already being used to hide hentai games The Switch 2 wants to be a do-it-all console, but Nintendo needs more first-party magic to overcome the upcoming handheld's biggest hurdle Latest in Games "We love our girlfailure daughter": Umamusume frenzy sees anime horse girl fans buy so much grass for a real, retired horse that her donation website has crashed yet again "Boy, that game sucked": Notorious Dead Island 2 delay lasted nearly a decade partly because its original developer ignored "horrific" player feedback, says former Deep Silver lead 11 years into a very confusing MMO, Destiny 2 lead reckons Bungie might have some problems onboarding new players: "We really want to be looking at things like New Light" "A future has been stolen": ZeniMax union says "lives were upended" by Xbox layoffs and MMO cancelation, but "we have not yet been laid off" Resident Evil fans are convinced Leon Kennedy's sharper jawline at age 27 compared to 21 is a powerful example of how trauma ages a person, and now I'm insecure about being 26 Gearbox reveals a surprising series first coming in Borderlands 4: Vex is the first playable Siren to "focus specifically on kinetic damage," which is great news for lifesteal lovers like me Latest in News "We love our girlfailure daughter": Umamusume frenzy sees anime horse girl fans buy so much grass for a real, retired horse that her donation website has crashed yet again "Boy, that game sucked": Notorious Dead Island 2 delay lasted nearly a decade partly because its original developer ignored "horrific" player feedback, says former Deep Silver lead 11 years into a very confusing MMO, Destiny 2 lead reckons Bungie might have some problems onboarding new players: "We really want to be looking at things like New Light" James Gunn's Superman quietly revealed some of the new DCU's 300 year legacy of superheroes "A future has been stolen": ZeniMax union says "lives were upended" by Xbox layoffs and MMO cancelation, but "we have not yet been laid off" Resident Evil fans are convinced Leon Kennedy's sharper jawline at age 27 compared to 21 is a powerful example of how trauma ages a person, and now I'm insecure about being 26 GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 review: "A nostalgic, must-play hit for fans" College Football 26 review: “Thanks to rivalries and dynasty, this is the greatest show on turf” Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy" Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse" Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic" Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU" Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" 28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy” Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation" Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever" Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era" Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date" Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling" Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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