Nintendo has announced that the online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software will shut down on April 8, 2024.
The shutdown will impact online play and functionality that utilizes online communication for both platforms, such as online co-op, internet rankings, and data distribution. “Please note that if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, we may have to discontinue services earlier than planned,” Nintendo said in a statement.
Furthermore, users have until March 11 to merge their unused Nintendo eShop balance to their Nintendo account so that the remaining funds can be also used on Nintendo Switch.
The two exceptions to the shut down are Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter. These will still remain online, but Nintendo reiterates that support for them may also end in the future. Fortunately, users will still be able to download update data and redownload purchased software and DLC from the eShop for the foreseeable future.
SpotPass will also be affected as it uses online communication, so the feature will be unavailable after April 8. However, StreetPass will still be functional as it uses local communication.
Nintendo shut down the 3DS and Wii U eShops last year, and already announced that it would be shutting down their onlines services in 2024. Now, we have a firm date for it.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He's been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.
When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey
