Two former Nintendo of America employees have shed light on the impact of the ongoing Switch 2 leaks, suggesting significant internal disruption and a compromised ability to surprise fans. Recent leaks have revealed purported release dates, game titles, and even mockups of the device itself, including images of the motherboard and Joy-Cons. Nintendo has officially dismissed these as "unofficial."

In a YouTube video, former Nintendo PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, leveraging their combined decade-plus of experience at Nintendo and firsthand knowledge of past leaks, discussed the likely internal fallout. Yang stated unequivocally, "I am 100% sure that they are really mad, to the most severe level," describing the internal reaction with a humorous yet telling reference to the infamous "hot exclamation mark emails."

The pair highlighted the disruptive effect leaks have on staff, suggesting that the ongoing investigations, especially so close to the anticipated reveal, are significantly impacting the team's ability to focus on the console's launch. Yang described a "high-stress situation" and a "highly chaotic situation… a real pressure cooker" within the company. Ellis added, "They do have very good people who investigate these things. They will eventually get to the bottom of it."

Genki Nintendo Switch Mockup Images from CES 2025

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The leaks, they both agreed, will likely hinder Nintendo's ability to surprise its fanbase. Ellis noted, "It’s impacting the way we are all going to view this official announcement."

Addressing speculation that Nintendo itself orchestrated the leaks, both Ellis and Yang firmly dismissed the idea. Ellis emphasized the company's strong emphasis on surprise, recounting mandatory lectures on the "value of surprise," stating, "Nothing we do is more important than surprising… There is absolutely nobody trying to do this on purpose." He further highlighted the significant disruption to the launch preparations.

Ellis predicted a reevaluation of Nintendo's product security protocols in response to the leaks, citing the eight-year gap since the original Switch launch in March 2017 as a contributing factor to potential weaknesses in their current processes.

While all information remains unofficial until a formal announcement, Nintendo has confirmed backward compatibility with original Switch games and Nintendo Switch Online integration for the upcoming Switch 2. The company has also stated that the console will not launch within its current fiscal year, meaning an April 2025 release at the earliest. An official announcement is expected in the first quarter of this year.