HomeGameStop's Switch 2 Preorders Off to a Rocky Start
GameStop's Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders: A Chaotic Launch
When GameStop launched online preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 at 11AM ET, it was anything but smooth sailing. Much like other retailers who had their preorders go live overnight, GameStop's website struggled under the pressure. By 11:30AM ET, a few lucky individuals, including a staffer from *The Verge*, managed to secure their orders. However, the party was short-lived. At 1:49PM ET, GameStop announced that the online preorders had completely sold out.
"Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders have sold out online," GameStop declared on X. "We will continue to squash bot and duplicate orders to reopen inventory. Preorders are still available in-store for the Nintendo Switch 2, the Nintendo Switch 2 + *Mario Kart* Bundle, games, and accessories."
As soon as the clock hit 11AM, chaos ensued. Many of us at *The Verge* were met with a frustratingly blank page on GameStop's website, displaying only the message "Oops… Something went wrong" alongside a refresh button. Shortly after, Cloudflare notices began popping up, indicating issues like a "web server is down" or a "bad gateway."
Every now and then, I managed to get the online listing for the Switch 2 and *Mario Kart World* bundle to load, but the preorder button was stubbornly grayed out. A colleague of mine saw the console-only option appear, but with a "not available" button instead of the preorder one. Even the GameStop mobile app wasn't immune to the chaos, throwing up error messages like "activity paused" when I attempted to use it.
Related
- Nintendo Switch 2 preorders were a total mess — at first
At 11:34AM ET, deals-hunter Wario64 announced that GameStop's Switch 2 preorders were actually live. A few *Verge* staffers managed to add the console to their carts, and one even completed a purchase, but didn't receive a confirmation email until after 1PM ET.
Another staffer thought they had secured a console in their cart, only to find out upon loading that GameStop had run out of stock.
GameStop acknowledged the issues at 11:37AM ET, stating they were experiencing "site issues" and were "actively working to fix it." By 1:15PM ET, they provided an update, saying, "we expect Switch 2 online pre-orders to be caught up within the hour. If you didn’t get a confirmation email, it should be arriving shortly. Thanks for hanging in there — we’re almost back on track."
Update, April 24th: GameStop says online preorders are sold out.
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Comments (6)
0/500
![GaryHill]()
What a mess! GameStop's Switch 2 preorder launch was like trying to herd cats in a storm. Site crashed, fans are fuming, and I'm just here wondering if I'll ever get one. 🥳 Nintendo hype is real, but this chaos is next-level!
![StevenGreen]()
El pre-pedido del Switch 2 de GameStop fue un desastre total! El sitio web se cayó y fue imposible acceder. Esperé horas y aún así no conseguí nada. Realmente necesitan mejorar para estos grandes lanzamientos! 😡
![JonathanAllen]()
O pré-pedido do Switch 2 da GameStop foi um completo desastre! O site caiu e foi impossível acessar. Esperei horas e ainda assim nada. Eles precisam melhorar muito para esses grandes lançamentos! 😡
![LarryMartin]()
게임스탑의 스위치 2 예약은 완전 난장판이었어요! 웹사이트가 다운되어서 접속이 안 됐어요. 몇 시간이나 기다렸는데도 아무것도 못했어요. 이런 큰 출시에는 더 잘 준비해야 할 것 같아요! 😡
![NicholasAdams]()
GameStopのSwitch 2の予約は大混乱でした！ウェブサイトがクラッシュして、全然アクセスできませんでした。何時間も待ったのに何もできませんでした。これだけの大規模な発売にはもっとしっかり準備してほしいですね！😡
![EricMartin]()
GameStop's Switch 2 preorder was a total mess! The website crashed and it was impossible to get through. I waited for hours and still nothing. They really need to step up their game for these big launches! 😡
GameStop's Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders: A Chaotic Launch
When GameStop launched online preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 at 11AM ET, it was anything but smooth sailing. Much like other retailers who had their preorders go live overnight, GameStop's website struggled under the pressure. By 11:30AM ET, a few lucky individuals, including a staffer from *The Verge*, managed to secure their orders. However, the party was short-lived. At 1:49PM ET, GameStop announced that the online preorders had completely sold out.
"Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders have sold out online," GameStop declared on X. "We will continue to squash bot and duplicate orders to reopen inventory. Preorders are still available in-store for the Nintendo Switch 2, the Nintendo Switch 2 + *Mario Kart* Bundle, games, and accessories."
As soon as the clock hit 11AM, chaos ensued. Many of us at *The Verge* were met with a frustratingly blank page on GameStop's website, displaying only the message "Oops… Something went wrong" alongside a refresh button. Shortly after, Cloudflare notices began popping up, indicating issues like a "web server is down" or a "bad gateway."
Every now and then, I managed to get the online listing for the Switch 2 and *Mario Kart World* bundle to load, but the preorder button was stubbornly grayed out. A colleague of mine saw the console-only option appear, but with a "not available" button instead of the preorder one. Even the GameStop mobile app wasn't immune to the chaos, throwing up error messages like "activity paused" when I attempted to use it.
Related
- Nintendo Switch 2 preorders were a total mess — at first
At 11:34AM ET, deals-hunter Wario64 announced that GameStop's Switch 2 preorders were actually live. A few *Verge* staffers managed to add the console to their carts, and one even completed a purchase, but didn't receive a confirmation email until after 1PM ET.
Another staffer thought they had secured a console in their cart, only to find out upon loading that GameStop had run out of stock.
GameStop acknowledged the issues at 11:37AM ET, stating they were experiencing "site issues" and were "actively working to fix it." By 1:15PM ET, they provided an update, saying, "we expect Switch 2 online pre-orders to be caught up within the hour. If you didn’t get a confirmation email, it should be arriving shortly. Thanks for hanging in there — we’re almost back on track."
Update, April 24th: GameStop says online preorders are sold out.
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What a mess! GameStop's Switch 2 preorder launch was like trying to herd cats in a storm. Site crashed, fans are fuming, and I'm just here wondering if I'll ever get one. 🥳 Nintendo hype is real, but this chaos is next-level!
El pre-pedido del Switch 2 de GameStop fue un desastre total! El sitio web se cayó y fue imposible acceder. Esperé horas y aún así no conseguí nada. Realmente necesitan mejorar para estos grandes lanzamientos! 😡
O pré-pedido do Switch 2 da GameStop foi um completo desastre! O site caiu e foi impossível acessar. Esperei horas e ainda assim nada. Eles precisam melhorar muito para esses grandes lançamentos! 😡
게임스탑의 스위치 2 예약은 완전 난장판이었어요! 웹사이트가 다운되어서 접속이 안 됐어요. 몇 시간이나 기다렸는데도 아무것도 못했어요. 이런 큰 출시에는 더 잘 준비해야 할 것 같아요! 😡
GameStopのSwitch 2の予約は大混乱でした！ウェブサイトがクラッシュして、全然アクセスできませんでした。何時間も待ったのに何もできませんでした。これだけの大規模な発売にはもっとしっかり準備してほしいですね！😡
GameStop's Switch 2 preorder was a total mess! The website crashed and it was impossible to get through. I waited for hours and still nothing. They really need to step up their game for these big launches! 😡
