Remember the retail disaster where GameStop marred the launch of the Switch 2 for countless customers by carelessly stapling receipts right through the screens of Nintendo's new console?
Well, GameStop clearly does, as its latest Switch 2 promotional campaign cleverly leans into that blunder to announce the next wave of console restocks hitting its shelves.
The ad, shared on the company's social media, quips, "Staples not included." The message continues, "Grab a Switch 2 restock at GameStop today." The accompanying picture features the console alongside a red stapler—conspicuously labeled with the words "Do Not Use On Box."
While some fans found the ad amusing, others felt it was strange for the retailer to double down on such a costly error that destroyed thousands of dollars' worth of stock.
IGN originally broke the story of GameStop's stapling mishap just hours after the console launched on the U.S. East Coast, with most damage reports concentrated at a single GameStop outlet in Staten Island, New York.
Affected customers informed IGN they only realized their consoles were damaged after arriving home, unboxing their purchases, and preparing to play—discovering their screens punctured where staples had been driven through the Switch 2's thin cardboard packaging.
Switch 2 restocks at GameStop today.
— GameStop (@gamestop) June 16, 2025
Staples not included. pic.twitter.com/ULR8bQzG0M
Of course, this isn't the first time GameStop has poked fun at the incident. The retailer's social media later clarified it had "resolved a unique instance of staples damaging Switch 2 screens—an issue limited to one specific location."
"Replacements have been offered," GameStop posted, alongside a GIF from the 1999 comedy Office Space depicting a clueless employee having their office supplies confiscated. "Staplers have been confiscated," they added.
Reacting to GameStop's latest nod to the mishap, one customer demanded, "You better have replaced every single Switch 2 that got stapled in the first place." GameStop confirmed replacements were complete. Another jokingly suggested, "Auction off the stapler that ruined everything," to which the retailer playfully replied with a thinking emoji.
Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery
View 91 Images
Although GameStop has framed the problem as an isolated error at one store, IGN has heard from other customers of various retailers who reported similar screen damage caused by stapled Switch 2 boxes. Players have also questioned Nintendo's overall packaging design—with the console's screen facing outward, making it particularly vulnerable to damage.
IGN previously reached out to Nintendo for comment, but the company deferred to GameStop's official statement on the matter.
