Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Nintendo Store Can’t Keep Up with Fan Demand for Special Edition

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is trending on Twitter today — but not for the right reasons. The next JRPG from Monolith Soft launches on Nintendo Switch next month, and today was the day hardcore Xenoblade fans were set to lock in their pre-orders for the game’s special edition. Nintendo of America chose to make the premium version of the game — which comes with a SteelBook, art book, and special edition box — exclusive to the My Nintendo Store on Nintendo’s official website, which has led to headaches for potential buyers.

Yesterday, Nintendo announced that preorders for the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Special Edition would go live on June 8. No specific time window for the preorders was given, as fans were told to “keep an eye out for an update” one preorders went live.

Today, at 8:32 a.m. PT, Nintendo of America posted again, announcing that the pre-purchase period had begun. Just 25 minutes later, Nintendo posted an update, saying, “We apologize for any inconvenience that you may be experiencing while attempting to pre-order the #XenobladeChronicles3 Special Edition. The My Nintendo Store is experiencing a high volume of traffic and we appreciate your patience while we look into the issue.”

We apologize for any inconvenience that you may be experiencing while attempting to pre-order the #XenobladeChronicles3 Special Edition. The My Nintendo Store is experiencing a high volume of traffic and we appreciate your patience while we look into the issue.

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 8, 2022

There appear to be two primary outcomes if you navigate to the My Nintendo Store yourself. You either get added to an endless waiting room, or if you manage to navigate to the product page, the special edition appears sold out with a message that says “The My Nintendo Store is currently undergoing maintenance. Please check back soon, and thank you for your understanding.”

As of now, it’s unclear if anyone was able to secure the special edition before the store sarted dealing with traffic-related issues.

A preorder sellout isn’t usually a huge cause for concern, but the Xenoblade series in particular is known for selling out fast and rarely coming back in stock. A quick search on eBay for the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Special Edition turns up secondhand copies selling for between $300 and $600.

Stock shortages are nothing new for Nintendo fans. From the early amiibo shortages, to the NES Classic, to the rush to get the Mario 35th Anniversary pin set, Nintendo fans seem to routinely struggle to secure limited edition products. And for Xenoblade, a series that has grown from fan campaigns for localization to a million-selling franchise for Nintendo, fans are frustrated with the situation.

Nintendo HQ discovering that Xenoblade is popular as My Nintendo Store melts in real time pic.twitter.com/OuBxeJCYd7

— Daniel Alba (@EvernightStudio) June 8, 2022

“Grandfather, what was Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Special Edition?”

“A dream.” The grandfather wept.

— Rawk (@RawkHawk2010) June 8, 2022

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Special Edition preorders crashed the My Nintendo site…. Great… pic.twitter.com/coyGStKabg

— Stealth (@Stealth40k) June 8, 2022

Literally 0 people got the Xenoblade 3 special edition

Nintendo fix your shitty website pic.twitter.com/dz96YPAkKv

— Aero @ Xenoblade 1 Replay (@ActualAero) June 8, 2022

Xenoblade 3 special edition showing up in my cart but not letting me buy it pic.twitter.com/j1wfi5yc4c

— kana fan number 1 (@ThunderboItZeke) June 8, 2022

GIVE IT UP FOR HOUR 3 OF THE XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 3 SPECIAL EDITION GOING “UP” AND THEN THE MY NINTENDO STORE GOING INTO IMMEDIATE MAINTENANCE!!! pic.twitter.com/7uMpGw2XlS

— ✨ Violet ✨ (@VioletZoroark) June 8, 2022

xenoblade 3 special edition (limit of 0 per household)

— gameing (@xordvalley) June 8, 2022

On one hand it’s really cool to see how popular Xenoblade has gotten and how much the fan base loves it

But on the other hand it really sucks to see that Nintendo’s website can’t even accommodate for the traffic that a Xenoblade Special Edition Game brings https://t.co/Lzm0PS6CSw

— Colin (@IntroSpecktive) June 8, 2022

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was announced in the February 2022 Nintendo Direct. The game is launching on July 29, after originally being set for a September release date. The game is set to follow Noah and Mio as they navigate the turbulence between the Keves and Agnus nations. If you’re interested in catching up on the series before the third game launches, check out our reviews for Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.