The recent launch of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave on Switch 2 has unexpectedly led to a surge in online banana orders at Walmart, alongside stock shortages for the game itself. The strategy RPG, a significant exclusive for the console this fall, saw its digital version discounted by a popular deals account, Wario64.
Wario64, a prominent social media user known for sharing gaming deals, highlighted a Walmart promotion offering $10 off online pickup or delivery orders. This allowed players to save on the $70 digital edition of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. When the discount code proved inconsistent, Wario64 suggested a workaround: adding a single banana to the cart, which he noted had resolved the issue for him.
This peculiar advice, shared along with a link to Walmart's online listing for bananas, was apparently followed by many players. Social media posts emerged showing purchases of the game accompanied by the fruit, leading to reports that Walmart's online listing for single bananas indicated the item was out of stock for shipping. While this did not reflect an actual in-store shortage, it demonstrated the reach of the online community's engagement with the promotion.
Meanwhile, the physical edition of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave has also seen significant demand. Despite a higher price point of $80 for boxed copies, both Walmart and Amazon have reported low stock or temporary sell-outs. The game is listed as having "Low Stock" on Walmart's website and has experienced intermittent availability on Amazon since its launch. Nintendeal also reported the game was temporarily out of stock on Amazon and sold out at Walmart, while simultaneously topping the eShop best-sellers list.
The scarcity of physical copies raises questions about initial production numbers versus overwhelming player demand, a situation echoed by previous releases like Pokémon Pokopia. Whether this indicates a resurgence in physical game sales or a strategic limitation of physical copies, the launch of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave has certainly created a memorable, albeit unusual, market event.