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 unveils the fortunate winners of the Switch 2 pre-order lottery through the My Nintendo Store. However, the overwhelming demand led to the website crashing due to excessive traffic, and Nintendo issued a critical warning regarding phishing emails that falsely claim 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 applicants would have the opportunity to purchase a Switch 2 from the My Nintendo Store, with delivery scheduled for the console's launch on June 5.

In a recent message from Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, it was revealed that approximately 2.2 million people in Japan participated in the first Switch 2 presale lottery. This staggering number far surpassed Nintendo's expectations, inevitably leaving many hopeful fans disappointed.

As the results of the first Switch 2 presale lottery were announced today, a surge of users attempting to access the My Nintendo Store in Japan caused Nintendo to temporarily take the site offline for maintenance. Simultaneously, scammers capitalized on the frenzy, sending out fraudulent lottery result notifications.

On social media platforms like X, Japanese-speaking users have been sharing screenshots of these deceptive emails, highlighting various versions of the scam. Emails with subject lines such as "You have won the Switch 2 lottery" could easily mislead eager fans. These phishing attempts range from obviously suspicious messages filled with emojis to more sophisticated fakes with subtle errors like misspellings 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 updated its website to inform those who registered their interest in purchasing a Switch 2 from the My Nintendo Store that delivery by the June 5 release date cannot be guaranteed. Consequently, invitation emails may be sent out after the Switch 2 launch. Nintendo assures that upon purchase, a shipping date will be confirmed. They also suggest that pre-ordering from third-party retailers might increase the chances of obtaining a Switch 2 at launch, despite the console already being sold out following the recent pre-order opening.

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-generation console around its launch will be extremely challenging.

According to a FAQ on Nintendo’s website, the first round of invitations for the My Nintendo Store in the U.S. will begin on May 8, 2025. Subsequent batches of invitation emails will be sent out "periodically" until the purchasing option is available to all users.

The initial invitation emails 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 finalize 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 maintained any paid Nintendo Switch Online membership for at least 12 months
• You must have opted in to share gameplay data and have accumulated at least 50 hours of total gameplay