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 official My Nintendo Store. However, the overwhelming demand led to the website undergoing maintenance due to excessive traffic. In addition, Nintendo issued a crucial warning about phishing emails that falsely claim to be official Switch 2 pre-order lottery results.

On April 2, Nintendo opened applications for the Switch 2 pre-order lottery in Japan, with winners securing the opportunity to purchase the console from the My Nintendo Store for delivery on the launch date of June 5.

In a recent message, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa revealed that approximately 2.2 million people in Japan participated in the first Switch 2 presale lottery. This staggering number surpassed Nintendo's expectations, leaving many hopeful fans disappointed as not everyone will secure a console on launch day.

As the results of the first Switch 2 presale lottery were announced on April 24, the surge in traffic forced Nintendo to take the My Nintendo Store website offline for maintenance. This frenzy was also exploited by scammers who circulated fake lottery results via email.

Japanese users on X (formerly Twitter) have been vigilant, sharing screenshots of these fraudulent emails and highlighting various scam iterations. The subject lines of these emails, proclaiming "You have won the Switch 2 lottery," could easily deceive eager fans. These deceptive emails often include links to LINE messenger or suspicious URLs that prompt immediate payment, ranging from obvious fakes laden with emojis to more sophisticated versions with minor errors like misspellings in email addresses and non-Japanese URLs.

The official warning from the Japanese Nintendo Support account clarified, “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 United States, Nintendo has 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. Consequently, invitation emails might arrive after the console's release, but Nintendo will confirm shipping dates upon purchase. Due to immediate sell-outs following pre-orders going live overnight, Nintendo suggested that fans might have a better chance at securing a Switch 2 at launch by pre-ordering from third-party retailers.

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 will be challenging around its launch period.

According to a FAQ on Nintendo’s website, the first batch of invitations for the My Nintendo Store in the U.S. will be sent starting May 8, 2025. Subsequent batches will be dispatched "periodically" until purchasing is opened to everyone.

The initial invitation emails will be sent on a first-come, first-served basis to "eligible registrants who meet the priority criteria." Recipients 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 maintained any paid Nintendo Switch Online membership for a minimum of 12 months.
• You must have opted in to share gameplay data and accumulated at least 50 hours of total gameplay.