Zelda Switch 2 pre-order cancellations: Walmart compensation gift cards are now rolling out

A legendary apology

(Credit: The Shortcut/Nintendo)

• 😡 Walmart canceled some Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 pre-orders due to supply chain issues

• 🚨 Our Zelda Switch 2 restock tracker @mattswider on X will send out an alert as soon as stock appears

• 💰 Affected customers are receiving $519 in eGift cards to cover the cost of the console

• 🤞 More inventory is expected to open up on November 6 across major retailers like Walmart and Target

🚨 Want a Zelda Switch 2 console? Follow Matt Swider on X and turn on notifications. You can also become a free or paid subscriber to The Shortcut to help support our work

To the anger of many, Walmart cancelled some customers’ Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 console pre-orders at the very last minute. It left many who thought they had secured the console empty-handed ahead of October 29’s launch. However, Walmart is at least trying to make up for its mistake.

If you had your pre-order cancelled, you should receive an eGift card for $519.00 – the entire cost of the Zelda Switch 2 console – so make sure you check your inbox. As shared by Wario64, the first email many have received is only for $19, but don’t panic: it states at the bottom, “If the total amount is over $500, you will receive multiple eGift cards.”

Wario64@Wario64

People are starting to receive the Walmart gift cards for the Zelda Switch 2 cancellations but only for $19. It's worth noting that the original email said if the gift card is over $500, there would be multiple gift cards, so unsure if the actual amount is $19 or if people are …

4:18 PM · Nov 2, 2026 · 61.4K Views

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49 Replies · 19 Reposts · 257 Likes

It appears a second email will arrive for $500, making the total amount the agreed $519. Not a bad way to say sorry, really.

Wario64@Wario64

confirmed, $500 gift card sent in in 2nd email. Lots of people told me this was fake btw, or that Walmart would never give $519 gift cards. Also to clear it up, Walmart refunded (or never took money in the first place) AND gave $519 in gift cards

Wario64 @Wario64

People are starting to receive the Walmart gift cards for the Zelda Switch 2 cancellations but only for $19. It's worth noting that the original email said if the gift card is over $500, there would be multiple gift cards, so unsure if the actual amount is $19 or if people are

4:31 PM · Nov 2, 2026 · 58.1K Views

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58 Replies · 24 Reposts · 291 Likes

We’re expecting Walmart to have a fresh wave of Zelda Switch 2 consoles on November 6, which is also the same day Target has said it will re-open orders for Nintendo’s highly coveted special edition system.

A report previously blamed a supply chain issue, which may have led Walmart to cancel pre-orders it originally thought it could meet. Retailers have since been advised to hold stock back until November 6, or November 5 if a store is holding a midnight launch, like Best Buy and GameStop.

Walmart’s generous compensation for cancelling the Zelda Switch 2 pre-order, which is essentially giving customers the console for free, also suggests it is confident it has a lot of units to sell, and that those who may be buying the console again, will use that extra cash to pick up accessories like the Zelda Switch 2 Pro Controller, which should also be back in stock.

As always, we’ll be using The Shortcut’s restock tracker to monitor the situation, and will alert our followers as soon as stock reappears.

Up next: New Google Easter egg pays tribute to Zelda: Ocarina of Time ahead of Switch 2 release date

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.