Take this with the appropriate amount of salt, but some sharp-eyed gamers have found what may be the release date for Nintendo’s next console, the Switch.
Reddit user “King_Of_Rad_Lions” noticed a discrepancy in how the MyNintendo reward site calculates the expiration date for certain rewards.
For those unfamiliar with the site, MyNintendo is Nintendo’s reward program for dedicated fans who buy Nintendo software and hardware with digital downloads, posters, and other merchandise that’s usually exclusive to the program. The prizes rotate in and out of the program’s storefront, giving fans who see something they really want an incentive to buy Nintendo products now rather than later, while also giving fans who don’t see something they’re interested in an incentive to check back often.
With all that being said, rewards usually expire at the end of a month, but “many of the recently added rewards expire in the middle of a month- more specifically, on a random Thursday in March (3/16).”
The implication is that the Switch could launch on the following day, March 17th. That potential date lines up with other, similar rumors, plus Nintendo’s own assertion that the Switch would be released in “March 2017.”
They haven’t, however, released any further details on a possible launch date, but Reddit user Meelow noted that some store displays are already being put up (see photo below), with pre-orders for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild expected to open “soon.”
Nintendo has promised that full launch details, including the console’s price and launch game lineup, will be provided in a livestream on January 13th, with a two-day hands-on event in Japan afterwards.
The March 17th date also gets some added credibility from Nintendo insider Laura Dale, who has been heavily involved in leaking accurate details about the Switch. She made the same prediction in her recent Reddit AMA, during which she also predicted a price tag below $300 with at least three third-party exclusives.
January 13th can’t get here soon enough for many Nintendo fans.
