Developers have expressed mixed feelings, with some fearing the new rules may hinder visibility for indie titles, while others see them as necessary to improve overall content quality.

Nintendo has implemented new publishing guidelines for the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop, aiming to combat the proliferation of low-quality, spam, and misleading games that clutter the platform.

These guidelines, which took effect on June 5, 2025, coincide with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 and focus on reducing adult content, sensitive themes, and manipulative practices.

Among the measures, Nintendo is restricting game bundles to five in the first year and up to eight in subsequent years to prevent bundle spam and ranking manipulation.

Enforcement of these guidelines is already underway, exemplified by the renaming of the controversial 'Hentai Girls' game series to 'Kawaii Girls' on the Asian eShop, making it harder to locate.

Initial reports suggest the eShop for Switch 2 is performing better, with fewer spam games and improved functionality, though concerns about visibility remain.

The platform is also targeting manipulative practices like imitating popular titles and limiting exposure of knock-offs, especially during sales events.

Nintendo is preventing developers from altering game names and descriptions after release, which should help consumers better identify legitimate products.

Compared to platforms like Steam, Nintendo's eShop still struggles with discoverability, as popular titles dominate search results, making it difficult for lesser-known games to stand out.

The new restrictions include banning misleading descriptions, limiting post-launch changes to game titles and descriptions, and controlling content that exploits social issues or tragedies.

Nintendo is prohibiting certain post-release edits and imitative titles to curb trademark infringements and misleading game descriptions.

Nintendo has established strict criteria for sensitive content, banning sexualization of children, hate speech, and misleading descriptions to protect its brand and user experience.