Last Thursday (June 5th) saw the official launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and while many first-wave pre-orders have already landed in players' hands, a massive number are still waiting for their shipments. Even worse, those who lost out on the lottery can only watch enviously as others dive in. Of course, scalpers were quick to pounce, with some desperate fans still paying premium prices to get their hands on one.
Since retiring, World Figure Skating Championships men's singles gold medalist Shoma Uno has been super active on social media. He's also famously the celebrity who's lost the Switch 2 lottery three times! So, it was quite the surprise when he announced on social media that his first-ever self-produced ice show, "Ice Brave," is about to kick off. And in a hilarious twist, he specifically warned fans attending: "No Nintendo Switch 2 allowed!" This instantly sparked a huge buzz among fans and netizens, cracking everyone up with his relatable humor.
Shoma Uno, now 27, boasts an impressive career, including a silver medal in the men's singles at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and a bronze at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. He also clinched back-to-back gold medals in the men's singles at the World Figure Skating Championships in 2022 and 2023, making him the first Japanese male skater to achieve such a feat.
While Uno announced his retirement last May, he's equally renowned in the gaming world. A massive fan of the "Super Smash Bros." series, he frequently shares his gaming adventures and insights, remaining a beloved figure even after stepping off the ice.
Naturally, his recent obsession has been the Nintendo Switch 2. He even makes it a point to immediately report the lottery results from Nintendo's official "My Nintendo Store" on X. This new console is clearly a huge deal for him, making it all the more heartbreaking that he's struck out three times in the lottery.
On the very day the Switch 2 dropped, he even posted a photo on X of his old Switch with a "2" scrawled next to its logo, clearly showing just how badly he wanted to get his hands on the new console.
Uno's special plea to "not bring a Switch 2 to the show" is truly a rare sight. After all, if someone were secretly playing a Switch 2 in the audience and Uno spotted it, he might just lose his focus on the ice!
Netizens quickly chimed in, saying it was the first time they'd ever seen a ban on bringing a video game console to an event. Clearly, the sting of not winning the lottery is real – nobody wants to see audience members flaunting their shiny new Switch 2s!
Other fans joked that even bringing the Switch 2 box might be deemed "aggressive," and if Uno actually saw someone with one, he might just pull off a legendary quintuple jump out of pure frustration!
It's safe to say that striking out three times on the Switch 2 lottery is a truly bitter pill to swallow. Even at his own ice show, Uno clearly wants no part of anyone else's winning joy! His hilarious move has certainly sparked a lively discussion online, proving that even in retirement, Shoma Uno is all-in on connecting with his fans and indulging in the pure fun of gaming (once he finally gets his hands on that console, that is!).