Nintendo predicts its servers will struggle during the holidays

They need Builder Mario on the case.
Mario in his Mario Maker outfit in Smash.
Image via Nintendo

Nintendo has advised customers to make new Nintendo accounts before Christmas rolls around, since the company is expecting its servers to take a hit.

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“This weekend, access will be concentrated on the server of #Nintendo Account, and it is expected that Nintendo Account will not be created immediately,” a tweet from Nintendo of Japan’s customer service Twitter and translated by IGN reads. “If you are planning to use the Nintendo Switch family for the first time, we recommend that you create it in advance.” The company is referring to its Nintendo accounts, which allow users to play online, purchase games through the eShop, and more.

The server struggles will likely be due to the amount of players worldwide who will be receiving a Switch for the first time on Christmas. New players will want to set up their consoles and start downloading and playing games right away, and Nintendo’s servers may not be able to accommodate the load of that many players at once. Because of that, the company recommends players and gift-givers make Nintendo accounts this week before Christmas arrives.

Nintendo did not seem to be concerned about the server status of any of its individual titles, like the popular Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The company has struggled with server load issues before, though; last year on Christmas, the Nintendo eShop went down, likely because of the huge amount of players wanting to download games right after receiving their Switch.


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Emily Morrow
Emily is a staff writer covering Apex Legends, Overwatch, Pokemon, and general gaming for Dot Esports. Her other bylines include Digital Trends, Screen Rant, and GameSpew. She also works as a narrative designer in games. Get in touch with her on Twitter @thepokeflute.