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

For Nintendo enthusiasts in Japan, April 24, 2025, marks a significant date as Nintendo is poised to announce the winners of the Switch 2 pre-order lottery through the My Nintendo Store. However, due to overwhelming traffic, the My Nintendo Store website had to be temporarily taken offline for maintenance. Amid this frenzy, Nintendo issued an important warning regarding phishing emails that falsely claim to notify recipients of their Switch 2 pre-order lottery results.

Nintendo began accepting applications for the Switch 2 pre-order lottery in Japan on April 2. Those fortunate enough to win the lottery would have the opportunity to purchase the 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 released yesterday, it was revealed that approximately 2.2 million people in Japan participated in the first Switch 2 presale lottery. This extraordinary demand significantly surpassed Nintendo's expectations, suggesting that a considerable number of hopefuls will not secure a console on launch day.

With the announcement of the first Switch 2 presale lottery results today, a surge of users attempted to access Japan's My Nintendo Store, prompting Nintendo to take the site offline for maintenance. This situation was exploited by scammers who began circulating fake lottery result emails.

Japanese-speaking users on social media platforms like X have been proactive in raising awareness, sharing screenshots of fraudulent emails and highlighting different versions of the scam. These deceptive emails often feature a subject line stating “You have won the Switch 2 lottery,” which could easily excite eager fans.

The fraudulent emails typically instruct recipients to either click on a LINE messenger app link or make an immediate payment through a dubious URL, all under the pretense of securing their new console. The phishing attempts vary from blatant fakes filled with emojis to more refined scams with subtle errors such as misspellings of "Nintendo" in email addresses and non-Japanese URLs.

The official warning from the Japanese Nintendo Support account clarifies: “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.”

Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery

View 91 Images

In the United States, Nintendo has updated its website to inform those who have registered interest in purchasing a Switch 2 from My Nintendo Store that delivery on the release date of June 5 cannot be guaranteed. Consequently, invitation emails might arrive after the Switch 2's launch. However, Nintendo assures that shipping dates will be confirmed upon purchase. The company also suggests that fans might have a better chance of securing a Switch 2 at launch by pre-ordering from third-party retailers, despite the console already selling out after pre-orders opened overnight.

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 initial batch of invitations for the My Nintendo Store in the U.S. will start being sent out on May 8, 2025. Subsequent batches of invitation emails will be dispatched "periodically" until purchasing is open to all. The initial invitations will be sent on a first-come, first-served basis to "eligible registrants who meet the priority criteria." Those invited 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.