The Coronavirus outbreak has negatively affected the games industry since it first began, causing esports and gaming events to be disrupted and delayed. Now it looks like Nintendo will be the epidemic’s next victim, as it seems likely that the company will soon suffer from a worldwide shortage of Nintendo Switch consoles.

According to sources from Bloomberg, Nintendo will struggle to meet the demand for the Nintendo Switch in the US and European markets starting from April 2020.

The company’s Nintendo Switch assembly factory in Vietnam is being hit hard by the shortage of supply and parts coming from China, thanks to the Coronavirus.

This is going to be a problem for Nintendo, especially as they gear up for upcoming highly-anticipated first-party exclusives like Animal Crossing: New Horizons on 20 March 2020.

To make matters worse, the Nintendo Switch is already currently out-of-stock in most retailers across home country Japan, not only because of the supply problems but also due to aggressive cashback campaigns by local mobile-payment providers.

Speaking with Bloomberg, a Nintendo representative said:

“We do not see any major impact on the shipment to the U.S. currently, but we will remain vigilant and take steps if necessary.

It’s possible the supply would be affected by the virus if it becomes more widespread and prolonged.”

The US accounts for a whopping 43 percent of Nintendo’s core business market, while Europe and Japan account for 27 percent and 21 percent, respectively. If the company doesn’t find a way to circumvent this, it will probably be a huge blow for them in the coming months ahead.

However, all of this doesn’t mean that shipments would completely halt. Realistically, the availability of Nintendo Switch stock would be greatly reduced. If you’re planning to buy one, it’s definitely better if you do so as soon as possible.