My Nintendo Store Chaos: Switch 2 Pre-Order Lottery Sparks Scams in Japan

For Nintendo enthusiasts in Japan, April 24, 2025, marks a significant day as Nintendo is set to announce the winners of the Switch 2 pre-order lottery through the My Nintendo Store. However, the overwhelming traffic led Nintendo to temporarily shut down the website for maintenance. Alongside this, Nintendo issued a warning about phishing emails that falsely claim to notify recipients of their lottery win for the Switch 2.

The pre-order lottery for the Switch 2 in Japan opened on April 2, with the winners slated to receive their consoles on the launch date of June 5. According to Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa's message on April 23, approximately 2.2 million people entered the first Switch 2 presale lottery, far exceeding the company's expectations. This high demand means that many hopefuls will miss out on obtaining the console at launch.

As the results of the first Switch 2 presale lottery were announced on April 24, the surge in traffic forced Nintendo to take the site offline for maintenance. Concurrently, scammers capitalized on the excitement by sending out fake lottery result emails. Japanese-speaking users on X (formerly Twitter) have been sharing screenshots of fraudulent emails, helping to identify various scams. These deceptive emails typically feature subject lines like "You have won the Switch 2 lottery," prompting recipients to click on LINE messenger links or pay through suspicious URLs to secure their console. The scams range from obvious fakes with excessive emojis to more subtle ones with minor errors like 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."

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In the U.S., Nintendo's website updated its information, warning those who registered interest in purchasing a Switch 2 from My Nintendo Store that delivery by the June 5 release date cannot be guaranteed. Consequently, invitation emails might arrive after the console's release. However, Nintendo assures that the shipping date will be confirmed upon purchase. They also suggest that pre-ordering from third-party retailers might offer a better chance at securing a Switch 2 at launch, despite pre-orders already being sold out.

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

According to a FAQ posted to 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 everyone. Initial invitation emails will be sent on a first-come, first-serve basis to "eligible registrants who meet the priority criteria." Invitees will have 72 hours from the email's dispatch 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 a minimum of 12 months.
• You must have opted in to share gameplay data and have at least 50 hours total gameplay hours.