Nintendo fined 35 million euros in France over Joy-Con stick drift investigation

Nintendo has agreed to pay a 35 million euro fine following the conclusion of a French investigation into defective Joy-Con controller sticks. The French Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention found that Nintendo concealed crucial information from gamers for years. According to the regulator, Nintendo was aware of the Joy-Con stick drift issue as far back as 2018 but failed to inform customers until 2020.

The investigation follows a 2020 lawsuit filed against Nintendo by the French consumer advocacy organization UFC-Que Choisir. The organization argued that Nintendo engaged in planned obsolescence by intentionally designing controllers to have a shorter lifespan, which would prompt players to purchase replacements sooner.

Nintendo agreed to pay the 35 million euro fine through its European division, but the company did not admit any wrongdoing. In a statement provided to the media, Nintendo asserted that the settlement serves as a gesture to ensure the peaceful resolution of the legal proceedings without any admission of guilt.