Switch 2 permabans are so permanent that not even Nintendo itself can overturn them, as one user named 'Twink Link' discovered to their horror

Botw
(Image credit: Nintendo)

A Nintendo Switch 2 owner with a – in my opinion – hilariously named username, Twink Link, had their system permanently banned recently apparently because Nintendo didn't find it so amusing. They contacted the support staff, who allegedly laughed and found the incident amusing, but the final update isn't so funny.

This player generously lets everyone in their family use their Switch 2, but this has somehow led to their sister's username being changed to Twink Link. If you've seen Link in any of the modern Zelda games, he is a bit of a twink, especially in Breath of the Wild, which the family was all "so excited" to play until this system ban.

A full system ban means you can't access any of the online aspects of the Switch 2. You may think that just means no multiplayer, which isn't too bad, but it's worse – you can't even use the eShop, which means you can't buy digital games or even download ones you'd previously purchased.

Be careful with Switch 2 usernames. from r/switch2

In a final edit to their original Reddit post, the unlucky player writes: "Permanent system bans cannot be revoked by Nintendo at all. I was told to return my system and use the latest save data cloud backups. I feel kinda trashy doing that because GameStop will inevitably sell it to another customer and the code is no longer in the box."

I'm surprised this is apparently the official advice from the support team, as I wouldn't have assumed people would get refunded for bricked consoles. And unless others have the option to buy second-hand, banned consoles for a hugely discounted rate, someone is going to be getting a very raw deal here. So, don't try to be cute with your usernames.

If you have a fully functioning console, check out all the Switch 2 launch games you can play.

Issy van der Velde
Contributor

I'm Issy, a freelancer who you'll now occasionally see over here covering news on GamesRadar. I've always had a passion for playing games, but I learned how to write about them while doing my Film and TV degrees at the University of Warwick and contributing to the student paper, The Boar. After university I worked at TheGamer before heading up the news section at Dot Esports. Now you'll find me freelancing for Rolling Stone, NME, Inverse, and many more places. I love all things horror, narrative-driven, and indie, and I mainly play on my PS5. I'm currently clearing my backlog and loving Dishonored 2.

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