Nintendo of America Outsources Customer Support, Lays Off 200 Contractors Ahead of Switch 2 Launch

Nintendo of America has begun a significant shift in its customer service operations, cutting approximately 200 contractor jobs as part of a move to outsource customer support ahead of the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2’s first holiday season.

This development, initially reported by IGN’s Rebekah Valentine, highlights a strategic transformation aimed at serving a growing base of Nintendo users across both North America and Latin America. According to multiple sources within Nintendo’s customer support staff, workers were notified as early as March 2025 through their respective agencies that their contracts would be phased out.

Many of these contractors, some of whom had supported Nintendo’s operations for years, did not receive direct communication from Nintendo of America, instead hearing about their job status via third-party agencies. The next phase for Nintendo’s customer service strategy involves transitioning support responsibilities to teams based in South American nations, primarily Brazil, Argentina, and Nicaragua.

Previously, these overseas teams had served primarily as first-line contacts, escalating complex issues back to the US-based main team.

Under the new model, displaced US contractors have been asked to train their replacements, a process that has raised concerns about continuity and service quality.

Sources cited immediate-term worries, predicting a drop in quality once experienced US-based agents complete the transfer. Some customer support agents told IGN that, although the new international teams possess English proficiency, internal communication hurdles have emerged.

Challenges regarding communication effectiveness, customer escalation, and an increase in challenging interactions—including instances of customer hostility and discriminatory behavior—were reported as service responsibilities shifted abroad. In response to the report, Nintendo of America stated: "While we have nothing to announce about our internal business activities, the claims shared with IGN include inaccurate information.

At Nintendo of America, we are extremely thankful to have partnered with several companies and their talented contractors over the years to deliver high-quality customer service experiences.

We continue to evolve and expand our customer service model with external partners that have deep experience in all the markets we serve across the Americas.

This approach allows us to support the full scope of our customer service mission in both North America and our growing Latin American markets, and better scale to seasonal needs for consistent support.

As always, our top priority is to provide excellent customer support, and we are pleased that customer satisfaction with the service provided by all our partners remains positive." Traditionally, Nintendo of America has relied on two US-based agencies to supply contractors for a variety of roles, including fraud management, technical support, and repair services.

With these layoffs, the majority of those roles are being transitioned offshore.

Some former employees, speaking to IGN, suggested that Nintendo could have retained or even hired some contractors as full-time staff to optimize savings and maintain service excellence, particularly in the current volatile economic climate and as generative AI continues to impact support positions industry-wide. This round of layoffs follows similar actions by Nintendo of America in 2024, when the company downsized its testing department, affecting over 100 contractors.

The change signifies a broader reevaluation of staffing and outsourcing within Nintendo’s North American operations as it gears up for the next major hardware release, the Nintendo Switch 2.

As Nintendo Direct presentations and eShop activities ramp up for new platforms, the evolving customer support structure will be closely watched throughout the gaming industry.

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