Nintendo Switch 2 Retailer GameStop Is Really Leaning Into Its Launch Day Stapler Snafu

Remember erstwhile retail elephantine GameStop ruined the motorboat of Switch 2 for hundreds of customers by stapling receipts done the screens of Nintendo's caller console?

Well, GameStop surely does, arsenic its latest Nintendo Switch 2 advert leans into the snafu to advertise the adjacent question of console banal arriving successful its stores.

"Staples not included," states the advert, posted to GameStop's societal media account. "Find a Switch 2 restock astatine GameStop today." An accompanying representation shows the Switch 2 console and a reddish stapler — with the words "Do Not Use On Box" scribbled connected it.

While immoderate fans person reacted to the advert with humor, others suggested it was unusual for the retailer to beryllium doubling down connected its costly mistake that ruined banal worthy thousands of dollars.

IGN archetypal reported connected GameStop's Switch 2 stapler contented conscionable hours aft the console launched connected the U.S. East Coast, with astir reports of stapler harm centred connected a azygous GameStop store successful Staten Island, New York.

Impacted customers told IGN they discovered their damaged consoles aft returning location to unbox and statesman playing their caller purchases — lone to find their console screens punctured wherever stapers had been utilized to affix receipts onto the Switch 2's bladed cardboard box.

Of course, this isn't the archetypal clip GameStop has made airy of the incident. The chain's societal media relationship aboriginal said it had "addressed a unsocial lawsuit of staples damaging Switch 2 screens — isolated to 1 store."

"Replacements person been offered," GameStop wrote, alongside a GIF showing a country from 1999 drama movie Office Space wherever a clueless worker has their bureau instrumentality taken away. "Staplers person been confiscated."

Responding to GameStop's latest stapler reference, 1 lawsuit wrote: "Yall amended had replaced each Switch 2 that got those staples successful the archetypal place." GameStop replied to accidental it had present done so. "Auction disconnected the stapler that ruined everything," said different customer, to which GameStop responded with a reasoning emoji.

While GameStop has characterised the contented arsenic an unfortunate mistake made by 1 circumstantial store, IGN has been contacted by customers of different retailers who person experienced akin surface harm owed to their Switch 2 boxes being stapled. Indeed, fans person questioned Nintendo's prime of packaging for the Switch 2 successful wide — with the console's surface positioned facing outwards, leaving it liable to damage.

IGN prevously contacted Nintendo astir the issue, though the institution simply referred america backmost to GameStop's ain acknowledgement.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social