Nintendo has admitted that it did not see the massive demand for its The Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary products coming, and the company says it is already working on restocks.
Bill van Zyll, Nintendo's Vice President and General Manager for Latin America, spoke about the shortages during an interview with Brazilian YouTube channel Coelho no Japão at Brasil Game Show 2026 last week. He was asked whether Nintendo expected the special edition hardware and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 to sell out the way they have, and his answer was pretty candid.
"Well, if we expected it, we wouldn't be in that situation, right? At least not to this extent. I will tell you that it's a global phenomenon. We have this issue absolutely everywhere. We apologize for that. That certainly is not the intent. We underestimated how well it would be received. And there's certainly some markets that stand out," van Zyll said.
The Shortages Go Well Beyond Brazil
Although the interview took place in Brazil, van Zyll made it clear that the problem stretches much further. He pointed to the United States as one of the markets where the products have been flying off shelves.
"The United States did extremely well as well. It's a global phenomenon where they're running out of product. The pre-sales are hitting their max, and certainly that's what happened to us in Brazil," he explained.
The shortages mainly involve The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Nintendo Switch 2, the matching Pro Controller, and the themed carrying case, all of which sold out quickly in many regions once pre-orders opened. The special edition console has popped in and out of stock at various retailers since then, but it has not received a large scale restock so far.
Restocks Are Coming, But Fans Need To Wait
The good news is that Nintendo is working on getting more products out to fans. Van Zyll confirmed that replenishments are planned for both the hardware and the software, though he was careful not to promise anything specific.
"We are working on replenishments of the special hardware and the software, but it'll take a little bit of time. So I'm going to use this on you now: please be patient. But yeah, to answer your question, it caught us by surprise. We expected a positive response, but the magnitude, I mean, it's amazing," van Zyll said.
He also noted that he could not share dates or quantities yet, since the plans are still being worked out. According to van Zyll, the current plan covers the special Pro Controller, the hardware, and the software.
Launch Is Right Around The Corner
The timing makes the shortages even more painful for fans who missed out. The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2 is set to launch on October 29th, while The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time follows on Switch 2 a week later on November 5th. Some retailers are still planning launch events with limited stock, so there may be a few more chances to grab the console in stores on day one.
The excitement around Ocarina of Time on Switch 2 has been building since its gameplay trailer, which has racked up more than ten million views on Nintendo of America's YouTube channel. The standard edition of the game has also been showing up near the top of pre-order bestseller charts, and the 40th anniversary celebrations still have plenty more in store, including The Legend of Zelda live-action movie on April 30th, 2027.
It is rare for a Nintendo executive to openly apologize for shortages like this, and it shows just how much the reaction caught the company off guard. Nintendo has a long history of special edition hardware selling out quickly, so plenty of fans will be hoping the restocks arrive before the holidays.
Did you manage to secure a Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 pre-order, or are you waiting on Nintendo's restocks to get your hands on one?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.