For Nintendo enthusiasts in Japan, April 24, 2025, marks a significant date. This is when Nintendo planned to announce the winners of the Switch 2 pre-order lottery, giving lucky fans the opportunity to purchase the new console through the My Nintendo Store. However, the immense demand caused the My Nintendo Store website to crash under heavy traffic, leading to temporary shutdown for maintenance. Amidst this excitement, Nintendo also issued a crucial warning about phishing emails that fraudulently claimed to be official Switch 2 pre-order lottery results.
Back on April 2, Nintendo began accepting applications for the Switch 2 pre-order lottery in Japan. Successful applicants were promised the chance to buy a Switch 2 from the My Nintendo Store, with delivery set for the console's launch on June 5.
In a message from Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa released the previous day, it was revealed that approximately 2.2 million people in Japan entered the first Switch 2 presale lottery. This overwhelming response far surpassed Nintendo’s expectations, leaving many hopefuls disappointed as only a limited number of consoles would be available at launch.
As the results of the first Switch 2 presale lottery were due to be announced today, the rush to access Japan’s My Nintendo Store was so intense that Nintendo had to take the site offline for maintenance. Concurrently, scammers exploited the situation by sending out fake lottery result emails.
Japanese-speaking users on social media platform X were quick to raise the alarm, sharing screenshots of fraudulent emails and highlighting various forms of the scam. These emails, with subject lines like “You have won the Switch 2 lottery,” initially seemed legitimate and could easily have tricked eager fans.
The fraudulent emails typically required recipients to either click on a LINE messenger app link or make an immediate payment via a dubious URL. These phishing attempts varied from obvious fakes filled with emojis to more sophisticated scams that included minor errors, such as misspellings of “Nintendo” in email addresses and non-Japanese URLs.
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 warn those who had registered interest in buying a Switch 2 from My Nintendo Store that delivery by the June 5 release date could not be guaranteed. Consequently, invitation emails might arrive after the Switch 2 launch. However, Nintendo assured that the shipping date would be confirmed upon purchase. The company now suggests that fans might have a better chance of securing a Switch 2 at launch by pre-ordering from third-party retailers, although pre-orders have already sold out following their overnight launch.
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 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 will be sent “periodically” until the store opens to all buyers.
Initial invitation emails will be dispatched on a first-come, first-served basis to “eligible registrants who meet the priority criteria.” Recipients will have 72 hours from the time of receipt to complete their purchase.
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order invitation priority requirements:
- You must have purchased any Nintendo Switch Online membership.
- You must have maintained any paid Nintendo Switch Online membership for at least 12 months.
- You must have opted in to share gameplay data and accumulated at least 50 hours of total gameplay.
