Walmart just published a massive Nintendo Switch 2 teaser

Wednesday, October 16, 2016, Nintendo of America famously tweeted an invitation to watch the first Switch preview trailer (back when it was still codenamed “NX”). The trailer was scheduled to go live the very next day. In what can only be interpreted as a giant Switch 2 teaser from a retailer that undoubtedly has insider knowledge, Walmart Canada just tweeted the exact same photo with the caption “Hey, Mario “

The implication is that tomorrow Nintendo will repeat history and announce some sort of Switch 2 reveal (eg “pull back the curtain”) to take place on the following day: Thursday, January 16th.

This matches the deafening roar of rumors that Nintendo will officially reveal the Switch 2 hardware this week.

This tweet may seem innocent on the surface; a savvy social media manager who smartly adds their voice to the rumor mill to increase engagement. But it’s much more than that, because Walmart Canada is known for being a bit, well, enthusiastic when it comes to things that have not been revealed yet.

Back in 2018, I reported on Bethesda’s hilarious response to Walmart Canada leaking the existence of Rage 2. The retailer also briefly published pre-order lists for a number of unannounced games, including Forza Horizon 5, Borderlands 3, and Gears of War 5. (The lists quickly became removed, but not before Wario64 has taken a screenshot.)

Like Gamespot points out today, Walmart Canada’s leaky behavior has slowed to a trickle since then. However, it must be said that large companies like this rarely let the people who handle their social media accounts off the hook without an approval process. This feels very much like something that was posted deliberately to not just generate engagement, but also to generate hype.

We tend to see Nintendo as a strict and fair platform holder, but as someone who used to do marketing for AMD, I know for a fact that leaks are often planted on purpose.

Yes, this is pure speculation, but I wouldn’t put it past Nintendo of America to quietly orchestrate a few creative ways to draw all eyes on them this week in an attempt to capitalize on the nonstop media coverage the Switch 2 has received since . CES. Basically to make the best of a bad situation and turn all the unplanned attention caused by endless leaks into a net positive.

By the way, here’s a fun tidbit to add more fuel to the fire: the official Nintendo of America account tweeted this about 3 hours after Walmart’s post:

The idiom “spill the tea” refers to the sharing of insider knowledge or gossip. Accidental or absolutely masterful sub-tweet directed at Walmart Canada and the likes of Nate The Hate? I’ll let you decide.

Hopefully we’ll know a lot more about the Switch 2 in less than 48 hours.

More Nintendo Switch 2 coverage:

ForbesNintendo Switch 2 leak reveals detailed mockup and release monthBy Jason EvangelhoForbesToday’s Massive Switch 2 leak reveals dimensions and screen sizeBy Jason EvangelhoForbesNintendo finally comments on leaked Switch 2 hardwareBy Jason Evangelho