Starting today, some Nintendo gamers and fans will no longer be able to use the Switch eShop, as the company decided to close its digital store in a major region. This means that they will no longer be able to purchase games or use download codes.

In case you don't remember, Nintendo Europe announced earlier this year the end of its operations in Russia. Now, it confirmed that its store will cease operations in the country for good. This is due to the current economic situation in the region.

Nintendo closes its division and Switch eShop in Russia

Nintendo was one of the companies that decided to decrease its activities in Russia once the conflict with Ukraine started. Initially, it stopped exporting most of its products and later temporarily stopped purchases in the Russian eShop due to the suspension of transactions in rubles.

The sanctions and restrictions generated several controversies with Nintendo Russia, involving Yasha Haddazhi, general director of that division. After analyzing the situation, Nintendo Europe finally made the decision to close its Russian branch and eShop in the country.

"As a result of the economic outlook, Nintendo of Europe has decided to wind down operations of its Russian subsidiary,” reads the email. “As part of our efforts to honor preceding commitments to our customers in the Russian market, the Russian version of Nintendo eShop will be set to offer limited service," the company informed

Starting today, players in the region will only be able to log in to the store to download the content they previously purchased. However, they will not be able to purchase new games or use download codes to get more content.

Nintendo has not fully resumed exporting its products to Russia, especially in terms of hardware. Thus, all indications are that the company has no plans to ever resume its activities as they were before the armed conflict.