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 as Nintendo is set to announce the winners of the Switch 2 pre-order lottery through the My Nintendo Store. However, the overwhelming traffic caused the website to go offline for maintenance, and Nintendo issued a warning about phishing emails that falsely claim to be official Switch 2 pre-order lottery results.

On April 2, Nintendo began accepting applications for the Switch 2 pre-order lottery in Japan, with winners given the opportunity to purchase the console for delivery at its launch on June 5. According to a message from Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa released the day before, approximately 2.2 million people entered the first Switch 2 presale lottery, far surpassing the company's expectations. This high demand means that many hopefuls will not secure a console on launch day.

As the results of the first Switch 2 presale lottery were released today, the rush to access Japan's My Nintendo Store led Nintendo to take the site offline for maintenance. Concurrently, scammers capitalized on the excitement, sending out fake lottery results to unsuspecting fans.

Users on X have been proactive, sharing screenshots of fraudulent emails and warning others about various scam iterations. The subject lines of these phishing emails, which excitedly declare "You have won the Switch 2 lottery," are tempting enough to deceive many eager fans. The emails either prompt users to click on a LINE messenger app link or to make a payment via a suspicious URL, urging immediate action to secure the new console. These phishing attempts vary from blatant fakes filled with emojis to more subtle ones with minor errors like misspellings of "Nintendo" in the sender's address and non-Japanese URLs.

The official warning from the Japanese Nintendo Support account clarifies that, "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 interested in purchasing a Switch 2 from My Nintendo Store that they cannot guarantee delivery by the June 5 release date. This means that invitation emails might arrive after the Switch 2's launch. However, Nintendo assures customers that they will confirm the shipping date upon purchase. The company also suggests that fans might have a better chance of obtaining a Switch 2 at launch by pre-ordering from third-party retailers, despite the console already being sold out after pre-orders went live overnight.

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

According to a FAQ posted 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. Additional batches of invitation emails will be sent "periodically" until purchasing is opened to everyone. Initial invitation emails will be sent on a first-come, first-serve 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 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.