Chaos in Japan as Switch 2 Pre-Order Lottery Overwhelms My Nintendo Store, Scammers Emerge

For Nintendo enthusiasts in Japan, April 24, 2025, marks a significant date. This is the day Nintendo announced the winners of the Switch 2 pre-order lottery through the My Nintendo Store. However, the overwhelming demand caused the website to undergo maintenance due to excessive traffic. Moreover, Nintendo issued a crucial warning about phishing emails that were falsely claiming to be official Switch 2 pre-order lottery results.

Nintendo began accepting applications for the Switch 2 pre-order lottery in Japan on April 2. Successful participants would have the opportunity to purchase the console, set to be delivered at its launch on June 5. In a message from Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa on April 23, it was revealed that approximately 2.2 million people entered the lottery, significantly surpassing the company's expectations. This high demand implies that many hopefuls will not secure the console on launch day.

As the results of the first Switch 2 presale lottery were released on April 24, the rush to access the My Nintendo Store led to the site being taken offline for maintenance. This frenzy also attracted scammers who sent out fraudulent lottery results. On social media platforms like X, users shared screenshots of these deceptive emails, highlighting various iterations of the scam. These emails often contained subject lines like “You have won the Switch 2 lottery,” which could easily mislead excited fans.

The phishing emails typically included requests to click on a LINE messenger app link or to make payments through suspicious URLs, urging immediate action to secure the new console. These attempts ranged from obvious fakes filled with emojis to more sophisticated ones with 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 inform those who registered interest in purchasing 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 console's launch. However, Nintendo assured that the shipping date would be confirmed upon purchase. They also suggested that pre-ordering from third-party retailers might offer a better chance of obtaining a Switch 2 at launch, despite these options selling out quickly after pre-orders began.

The challenges faced by fans trying to pre-order the Switch 2 on April 24, combined with Nintendo's warning, indicate that securing the next-gen console will be difficult around its launch.

According to an FAQ on Nintendo’s website, the first batch of invitations for the My Nintendo Store in the U.S. will be sent starting May 8, 2025. Additional batches will follow periodically until purchasing is open to everyone. Initial invitation emails will be sent on a first-come, first-serve basis to eligible registrants who meet specific priority criteria. Invitees 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.