Nintendo is Reportedly Deleting a Bunch of Super Mario Maker 2 Levels

Multiple creators are reporting that Nintendo has removed some of their levels in Super Mario Maker 2, on the grounds that they included “advertising content.” Super Mario Maker 2 was released on Nintendo Switch in 2019, allowing players to create and design their own levels using power-ups, enemies, and elements from various titles.

Several years have passed since the game’s release, and Nintendo has largely moved on. Super Mario Maker 2 has gotten occasional updates on Nintendo Switch over the last few years, but it’s been a while since players have seen any new content. The game has mainly been kept alive by the player community, including those who have built some of its tougher levels and experiences.

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Why Nintendo is Deleting Super Mario Maker 2 Levels

Content creators such as DGR and PangaeaPanga have claimed that “thousands” of Super Mario Maker 2 levels are being deleted by Nintendo. The grounds for removal seem to be the use of hashtags in the game, many of which promote a Discord server called Team Shell. Creators who are using related hashtags to help people find these specific levels are now seeing them removed because Nintendo apparently considers this to be “advertising content.” Nintendo is usually cautious about restricting online content, but the Super Mario Maker community does not believe that this came about naturally.

The current theory among Super Mario Maker 2 fans is that the levels are being mass reported by a single bad actor in the game’s community. That has not been verified, but it would better explain why these levels are suddenly being deleted after all these years. Across social media, there has been a lot of frustration, as the community is the reason the Switch game still sees interest among newcomers, even with little official support. Super Mario Maker 2 surpassed more than 26 million courses uploaded in 2021, and it’s likely that number has significantly grown in the years since.

Even if this situation boils down to one bad actor, it seems Super Mario Maker 2 players have little recourse. Nintendo’s methods can be weaponized against players, and the whole thing is unfortunate for the fans. The game might not see much official support anymore, but passionate Super Mario Maker 2 players continue spending countless hours with the game. On YouTube, DGR has recommended that players concerned about their own content being removed may want to copy their levels without the use of hashtags. That way, the levels might be preserved if they get scooped up in another report.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

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Super Mario Maker 2 is one of several games that fans have been hoping to see updated on Nintendo Switch 2. Over the last year, multiple games released on the original Switch have seen improved visuals and performance, on top of new content. Super Mario Maker 2 seems like a perfect candidate, especially if Nintendo were to add Joy-Con mouse support. Of course, many fans would be much happier with a third installment in the series, offering even more options for creating custom Mario courses. For now, fans will have to lean on the tools available while playing the countless levels that have been uploaded by the community.