Canadian retailer Video Games Plus stated that Nintendo currently has a policy in place that prevents titles already released with Game Key Cards from being directly reprinted as full physical cartridges. The retailer had hoped to facilitate such version conversions, but the related plans could not proceed via direct reprinting.
This claim originated from a post by Video Games Plus on social media, which has since been deleted. The retailer did not disclose the specific terms of the policy, stating only that the restrictions have reasonable grounds and are not deliberately set by Nintendo to hinder publishers.
Nintendo Life speculates that this restriction may be intended to avoid consumer confusion caused by having the same game available simultaneously in two similar packages—Game Key Card and full cartridge. It also helps prevent collectors who have already purchased the Game Key Card version from having to pay again for the full cartridge.
The deals account Nintendeal previously offered a similar explanation: if publishers wish to change a Game Key Card version into a full physical cartridge, they may need to submit an entirely new build rather than simply repressing the original onto a cartridge; there might be some flexibility for "Complete Editions" released under a new name. The case of "It Takes Two" upgrading from a boxed download code to a Game Key Card only proves that the former conversion is feasible, not that Game Key Cards can still be directly upgraded to full cartridges. Nintendo has not officially confirmed this policy, and current information remains based on retail channel reports.