GameStop began taking online preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 at 11 AM ET, but the launch faced immediate challenges similar to those reported by other retailers earlier in the night. By around 11:30 AM ET, some users, including a staff member from The Verge, were able to place their orders. However, GameStop announced at 1:49 PM ET that their online preorders had completely sold out.
“Online pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 have sold out,” GameStop stated via X. “We are actively working to remove bot and duplicate orders in order to reopen inventory. Preorders are still available in-store for the Nintendo Switch 2, the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart Bundle, as well as games and accessories.”
As soon as the clock hit 11 AM, many staff members at The Verge encountered problems with GameStop’s website. Initially, the site displayed a mostly blank page, with just an “Oops… Something went wrong” message and a refresh button. Shortly after, Cloudflare error messages started appearing on the site, informing users of a “web server down” issue or a “bad gateway” error.
At times, the listings for the Switch 2 and the Mario Kart World bundle would load, but the preorder button was disabled. One colleague managed to access the console-only option, only to find a “not available” message instead of a preorder button. Additionally, the GameStop mobile app also displayed error messages, including one that simply stated “activity paused” when I attempted to access it.
At 11:34 AM ET, deals expert Wario64 confirmed that the Switch 2 preorders were indeed live. Several The Verge staffers managed to add the console to their carts, with one ultimately completing a purchase, though they did not receive a confirmation email from GameStop until just after 1 PM ET.
Another staff member believed they had the console in their cart, but when it loaded, GameStop indicated that it was sold out.
In a post at 11:37 AM ET, GameStop acknowledged “site issues” and stated they were “actively working to resolve them.” By 1:15 PM ET, GameStop updated customers, saying, “we expect Switch 2 online pre-orders to be caught up within the hour. If you haven’t received a confirmation email, it should arrive shortly. Thank you for your patience — we’re almost back on track.”
Update, April 24th: GameStop has confirmed that online preorders are sold out.
