A stunning heist involving nearly 3,000 Nintendo Switch 2 consoles has been reported, leaving authorities baffled. The theft took place during the transportation of stock from Nintendo’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, to a GameStop store in Texas. The stolen goods, worth a staggering $1.4 million, were discovered missing while the truck was in Colorado, with the driver unaware that the consoles had been taken. 
Investigators are now piecing together the puzzle, uncertain of where exactly the theft occurred along the 1,332-mile journey.
The question on everyone’s mind: Was this a carefully planned operation, with the truck being tracked from Nintendo’s headquarters? Or was this a random, opportunistic theft? Given the nature of the crime – multiple pallets of Switch 2 stock being removed – there’s speculation that the thieves may have been organized. If caught, the culprits could face felony theft charges, while the truck driver claims to have had no knowledge of the stolen goods.
Despite this setback, Nintendo’s Switch 2 had a successful global launch, selling 3.5 million consoles in just a few days. However, the thefts are a reminder of the lengths to which criminals will go to target valuable video game stock. This is not the first time Nintendo has been targeted in this manner. Back in 2015, a truck carrying Splatoon game stock and rare amiibo figures was stolen, highlighting the ongoing issue of stolen gaming merchandise.
The thefts echo similar incidents from 2020 when gangs in the UK used a dangerous method called “rollover” to steal PlayStation 5 consoles from moving trucks. The technique involved thieves attaching ropes to vehicles, climbing onto trucks, and using cutting tools to break in at high speeds.
As for GameStop, this isn’t the first controversy surrounding the retailer and Nintendo Switch 2. GameStop made headlines when it ruined the midnight launch of the console by accidentally stapling receipts into the screen, leaving customers frustrated.