Nintendo Denies Amazon Product Removal Rumors

When pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 launched earlier this year, major US retailers carried the console — with one notable exception: Amazon.com.

Gamers have repeatedly noticed the absence of Switch 2 consoles and games on Amazon's US storefront, though no official explanation ever emerged. Now Nintendo has refuted a Bloomberg report suggesting an ongoing dispute between the company and Amazon regarding third-party resellers.

As IGN reported recently, Amazon has carried virtually no first-party Nintendo titles for nearly a year, except for a brief listing of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. This pattern changed when Amazon opened pre-orders for the Switch 2 exclusive Donkey Kong Bananza starting June 17.

However, the Switch 2 console itself and other anticipated Nintendo releases like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond remain unavailable. More curiously, as IGN observed today, Amazon's earlier Switch 2 listing has disappeared entirely, replaced by a 404 error page featuring an image of a dog named Bowser.

Bloomberg's report suggested Nintendo deliberately withheld products from Amazon to prevent third-party sellers from mass-purchasing consoles in Southeast Asia and undercutting US prices. According to sources, Amazon proposed distinguishing Nintendo's direct sales with authenticity badges, but these negotiations reportedly failed.

Nintendo swiftly denied these claims. "This report is inaccurate," a company spokesperson told Tom's Hardware. "We maintain confidentiality regarding retailer agreements."

Amazon also disputed Bloomberg's account, calling its portrayal of their Nintendo relationship "inaccurate".

"We're proud to offer Nintendo products directly as part of our commitment to broad selection and customer satisfaction," an Amazon representative stated, without addressing the platform's limited current Nintendo inventory.

IGN has reached out to Nintendo for clarification regarding the scarcity of its products on Amazon.