Walmart canceled your Zelda Switch 2 pre-order: 48 hours to reorder

Walmart is contacting people whose Legend of Zelda Switch 2 console pre-orders were canceled at the last minute. According to Kotaku, the retailer calls the cancellations an error in a message from customer service. The email goes to whatever address was used for the original pre-order. Inside, you'll find an item labeled Exclusive Reservation sitting in your cart. Hitting checkout reserves the console again. The catch is timing: the email says you have 48 hours to claim it. So don't sit on it.

Some affected customers are also receiving a Walmart eGift card worth $519, which the report describes as the original price of the console. Walmart frames it as compensation for the inconvenience, and buyers can spend it however they like. Kotaku's own suggestion is a Zelda Pro Controller, or groceries. Wario64 summed up the effect on Bluesky: with the gift card, the console ends up costing nothing. That framing comes from Wario64, not from Walmart.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake lands on Switch 2 on November 5. Kotaku notes the hope that any consoles still needing shipment arrive in time for that date. That's a wish, not a delivery guarantee from Walmart.

Open the email tied to your original pre-order and look for the customer service message. Then check your cart for the Exclusive Reservation entry and complete checkout before the 48 hours run out. If a gift card shows up, it's yours to spend as you choose. Kotaku reported the cancellations as a mess that had already stretched over several days, with earlier coverage on October 28 and October 29.

The report doesn't say how many orders were affected or whether every canceled buyer gets the $519 card. It also doesn't confirm that reordered consoles will ship before November 5. If you're among those hit, the practical move is to claim the reservation fast and watch for a shipping update.