For Nintendo enthusiasts in Japan, April 24, 2025, marks a significant date as Nintendo is set to announce the winners of the Switch 2 pre-order lottery through the My Nintendo Store. However, the high demand led to the temporary shutdown of the My Nintendo Store website for maintenance due to overwhelming traffic. Additionally, Nintendo issued a critical warning about phishing emails that mimic official Switch 2 pre-order lottery results, urging fans to stay vigilant.
Nintendo began accepting applications for the Switch 2 pre-order lottery in Japan on April 2. Successful applicants would have the opportunity to buy a Switch 2 from the My Nintendo Store, with delivery scheduled for the console's launch on June 5.
In a message from Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa on the previous day, it was revealed that approximately 2.2 million people in Japan participated in the first Switch 2 presale lottery. This staggering number far exceeded Nintendo's expectations, meaning many hopefuls would be disappointed on launch day.
With the announcement of the first Switch 2 presale lottery results on April 24, many eager fans rushed to the My Nintendo Store, causing Nintendo to take the site offline for maintenance. Unfortunately, this excitement was exploited by scammers who sent out fraudulent lottery results emails.
Japanese-speaking users on X (formerly Twitter) have been proactive in warning others, sharing screenshots of fraudulent emails and highlighting various scam versions. The subject lines, such as "You have won the Switch 2 lottery," could easily mislead excited fans. These scam emails often ask users to click on a LINE messenger app link or pay immediately through dubious URLs, pressing the urgency to secure the new console. The phishing attempts vary from obvious fakes laden with emojis to more polished scams that include minor errors like misspellings of "Nintendo" in email addresses and non-Japanese URLs.
In response, the official warning from the Japanese Nintendo Support account clarified, "Although we plan to send out the lottery result emails today (April 24), we have not sent them yet. Please be aware that any such emails that you have received up until now were not sent by Nintendo."
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In the U.S., Nintendo updated its website to inform those who registered interest in purchasing a Switch 2 from the My Nintendo Store that delivery by the June 5 release date could not be guaranteed. As a result, invitation emails might arrive after the Switch 2's launch. However, Nintendo assured customers that they would confirm the shipping date upon purchase. Nintendo also suggested that fans might have a better chance of securing a Switch 2 at launch by pre-ordering from third-party retailers, a recommendation that raises concerns given the console's immediate sell-out following the opening of pre-orders.
The challenges faced by fans trying to pre-order the Switch 2 on April 24, combined with Nintendo's warning, indicate that obtaining the next-gen console will be difficult around its launch.
According to a FAQ posted on Nintendo’s website, the first batch of invitations for the My Nintendo Store in the U.S. will be sent out starting May 8, 2025. Subsequent batches of invitation emails will be dispatched "periodically" until purchasing is opened to everyone.
Initial invitation emails will be sent on a first-come, first-serve basis to "eligible registrants who meet the priority criteria." Recipients will have 72 hours from the time the email is sent to complete their purchase.
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order invitation priority requirements:
- You must have been the one who purchased any Nintendo Switch Online membership.
- You must have had any paid Nintendo Switch Online membership for a minimum of 12 months.
- You must have opted in to share gameplay data and have at least 50 hours total gameplay hours.
