GameStop’s online Nintendo Switch 2 preorders went live at 11AM ET, and like the preorders from other retailers overnight, things immediately got off to a rocky start. However, shortly after 11:30AM ET, it appears some people started to be able to complete orders, including one Verge staffer.
Right as the clock rolled over to 11AM, many of us at The Verge experienced issues with the website. At first, GameStop’s website showed me a mostly-blank page – the only text on it was “Oops…Something went wrong” [sic] and a refresh button. Soon after, myself and other Verge staffers often saw Cloudflare notices on GameStop’s website instead, including error notices that said the “web server is down” or that the site is experiencing a “bad gateway.”
Occasionally, the online listing for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World bundle has loaded for me, but the preorder button will be grayed out. One colleague also got the console-only option listing to load, but with a “not available” button in place of a preorder one.
GameStop’s mobile app has also been showing error messages for me, including one that vaguely says “activity paused,” when I try to open it.
At 11:34AM ET, deals-hunter Wario64 posted that GameStop’s Switch 2 preorders were actually live. A few Verge staffers were then able to get a console in their cart, and one was actually able to make a purchase. Another, however, thought they had the console in their cart, but when their cart actually loaded, GameStop said it was out of stock. And since then, none of us at The Verge have been able to try and check out with a Switch 2 online.
“We’re seeing overwhelming demand for Switch 2, which is causing some site issues. In-store preorders are open and running smoothly,” GameStop said on its support account on X. “Our team is actively working to fix it. Hang in there — we’ll keep you posted.”
We’ve contacted GameStop for comment.
