Nintendo Switch Will Finally Launch In Brazil

The Nintendo Switch is set to be officially released in Brazil more than three years after it originally launched worldwide. Nintendo previously sold its systems in the South American country but halted distribution in 2015 after it claimed that high importation tariffs (that ranged from 20 to 50 percent) made it "unsustainable" to continue doing business there. While the company didn't give an exact date that its latest system will launch in Brazil, it did say that it is "coming soon" in an official announcement on Twitter and showed that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will launch alongside it.

This decision comes after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lowered taxes on games late last year. Nintendo reentering the Brazilian market means that gamers in the country will be able to directly purchase Nintendo games and systems rather than importing or buying through resellers in the near future.

Game developers and fans alike teamed up last year for an unofficial Brazil Nintendo Direct in order to get Nintendo to support Brazil and offer games in Portugese. The 23-minute video featured a number of titles including Celeste, Wargroove, and 20 other indie games. It received over 60,000 views on YouTube and now fans are closer to ever towards official support in the country.

Brazil is accustomed to late console launches from Nintendo going back to both the NES and Super Nintendo being released in 1993 by Playtronic. This had improved over time prior to the company leaving the country as the Wii U released just one year late in 2013. With lower tariffs and renewed fan support, Nintendo is once again showing interest in the country.