GameStop Stops Infinite Money Glitch on Switch 2
GameStop had to fix a critical flaw in its point-of-sale system that was giving customers virtually infinite credit. A trick when purchasing and trading in the Nintendo Switch 2 resulted in a profit of $57 per run until an update followed.
GameStop stops lucrative Switch bug
The US video game retailer GameStop has fixed an exploit that not only theoretically made it possible to generate an almost infinite amount of store credit through a simple chain of transactions. The company confirmed that the so-called “Infinite Money Glitch” was immediately removed through a software update after it became known. The error occurred specifically in connection with the Nintendo Switch 2 and a parallel trade-in campaign. GameStop responded to a YouTuber named RJCmedia, who demonstrated the security flaw in detail. The principle behind the exploit was based on incorrect calculation when combining different promotions.
Customers initially purchased a Nintendo Switch 2 at the regular list price of $414.99. However, due to an ongoing promotion that offered a 25 percent bonus on traded-in hardware, the purchase value of the console increased dramatically when it was returned immediately. The system didn’t recognize that it was new, just over the counter, and valued the console higher than the retail price. When returned, the cashier wrote the customer a total of $472.50. This resulted in a net profit of a good 57 dollars (around 49 euros) in credit per run. Since the process could theoretically be repeated as often as desired, the community quickly spoke of an infinite money glitch.
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How IGN writes, it wasn’t just the viral video that alerted GameStop’s headquarters. A company spokesperson confirmed to the magazine that an anonymous whistleblower sent an email directly to the company to draw attention to the gap. The speaker noted that there was a certain irony in the scenario. In online forums, dealers are often accused of offering miserable purchase prices. However, in this short time window, the system rated the used item significantly higher than the sealed new item.
The “Bank of GameStop”
Exploiting GameStop mechanics for financial gain has a long history in the gaming community and is often discussed humorously. The current incident is reminiscent of the legendary story of the “Bank of GameStop,” which originated in a 4Chan forum. At that time, users used the retailer’s pre-order system as a kind of bank account replacement. To avoid bank fees or briefly park assets, they deposited cash on pre-orders for games that weren’t scheduled to be released until the distant future. If necessary, they simply canceled the reservation and had the money paid out again.
However, the current scenario is fundamentally different from these historical anecdotes: While the “Bank of GameStop” only lent the company interest-free liquidity, the Switch error caused a direct financial loss for the retailer. In a statement, GameStop treated the incident with humor, but made it clear that the branches were not designed to be money printing machines. The customers’ creativity was applauded, but the “simple arithmetic” was restored to the system. The timing of the error is sensitive for the company. The group is reportedly planning to close around 400 branches to counteract ongoing economic pressure.
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