Walmart Gives Surprise Gift Cards Over Canceled Zelda Switch 2 Orders

4 hours ago 21

Published Oct 31, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT

Ashely currently works as a news writer for Polygon. After getting her Translation degree, she was hired as a guide and news writer for GameRant and TheGamer. She enjoyed working as an author for these sites for six years, and in 2026, she started at Polygon, where she is able to continue to do what she loves: writing about video games.

Is it enough to make up for it?

On Thursday, Nintendo released a special edition of the Nintendo Switch 2 in anticipation of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which is set to launch Nov. 5. As with most special hardware releases, the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary-themed Switch 2 sold out quickly. Walmart oversold the consoles and found itself having to cancel orders a day before launch.

It is now trying to compensate for its actions with $519 gift cards and allowing players to reclaim their reservation for the Switch 2 hardware.

Zelda fans who reserved the special Ocarina of Time Switch 2 for $519 didn't take it lightly when Walmart handed them their money back and canceled their order. Pre-orders guarantee customers that they will get the product on day one. Overselling and canceling orders before launch obviously defeats the purpose of pre-ordering.

The retail chain is now trying to make it up to fans with unexpectedly generous offers. Walmart customers who were affected by the Zelda Switch 2 pre-order cancellations report receiving a $519 gift card in their inbox or the chance to reclaim their order. Gift cards will be granted within 10 days of the initial compensation email. As for the reservation, customers have 48 hours to reclaim it and place their orders, so they must act fast if they still want the console.

Spurned Zelda fans may get their limited edition Switch 2 after all

Most fans have reported that they either received the free gift card or the chance to reserve the special edition console. A small percentage say they got both emails in their inbox, but the majority of the customers were assigned one compensation method at random rather than both.

While it is great to secure an Ocarina of Time special edition Switch 2, the gift card essentially grants what sounds like a free Switch 2 — a deal that almost sounds too good to be true. Either way, it's a win-win situation for the disgruntled customers who lost their pre-orders.

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