Nintendo Replaces Damaged Switch 2 Consoles, References GameStop's 'Office Space' Joke

Nintendo and GameStop have officially responded to the issue surrounding Nintendo Switch 2 consoles being sold with damaged screens, which occurred due to receipts being stapled directly onto the console boxes. Following reports from affected customers, GameStop has reportedly begun offering replacement units sourced from nearby locations.

The U.S. retail giant released a brief but clear statement addressing the situation, which Nintendo also referenced when contacted by IGN for comment. According to GameStop, the damage was limited to a single store and described as an isolated incident.

"We've addressed a unique case of staples damaging Switch 2 screens — isolated to one store. Replacements have been offered. Staplers have been confiscated."

This message was accompanied by a humorous clip from the 1999 comedy *Office Space*, where a character's stapler is taken away by a manager — a nod to the irony of the situation.

Several customers who attended the midnight launch event at GameStop’s Forest Avenue location in Staten Island discovered upon opening their new consoles that the screens had been punctured by staples used to attach receipts to the packaging. Many criticized both the store's method of handling receipts and the design of the Switch 2’s box, which places the console face-up against a thin layer of cardboard with the screen exposed on one side.

"I knew this would happen," one fan wrote online. "It was a weird decision by Nintendo to have the screen sit face-side-up at the very top of the box with only the thin cardboard to protect it. You're going to hear about a few damaged screens in the coming days. They are at risk just being stacked in shipping."

IGN has reached out to both Nintendo and GameStop for further clarification on whether other stores were alerted to avoid similar mistakes and if there are plans to modify the packaging for better protection during transit or retail handling.

"GameStop did right by me," one customer told IGN after receiving a defective Switch 2 unit. "They traded it in for a new system. They must have sent a shipment of Switch 2s to that location today to fix the staple problem."

Another satisfied customer, who received a prompt replacement, said they were informed that GameStop acted swiftly by pulling spare units from neighboring stores to ensure impacted buyers could receive functional consoles immediately.