Wii U/3DS online services ending April 8th, 2024
Signing off
Nintendo has announced that at 4pm PDT on April 8, 2024, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. This also includes online co-operative play, 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, Nintendo may have to discontinue services earlier than planned.
Nintendo thanked players for using the online services of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software over a long period of time and they also apologized for any inconvenience this decision may cause players the world over.
Please note that until March 11th, you can merge your unused Nintendo eShop balance to your Nintendo Account, so that it can be used on Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo also shared a FAQ answering some questions players might have, and you can read through that full document below.
Will I still be able to play offline even after online services end?
Yes. Players will still be able to use features and game modes that do not require online communication.
Will any online services still be available even after online services generally end?
It will still be possible to use online services for the following software but that may also end at some point in the future.
- Pokémon Bank
- Poké Transporter
Are you also ending online services for software from publishers other than Nintendo?
With some exceptions, online services will end for all Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. Please contact publishers for information about the online services for their software.
Will it still be possible to download update data or purchased software?
For the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to download update data and redownload purchased software and downloadable content from Nintendo eShop.
When online services end, will StreetPass and SpotPass no longer be available either?
StreetPass uses local communication between Nintendo 3DS family systems, meaning that it will still be available even after online services end. However, because SpotPass uses online communication, SpotPass features will no longer be available.
For example, you will be able to use StreetPass in StreetPass Mii Plaza, which is pre-installed on Nintendo 3DS family systems, but you will no longer be able to use features that use online communication (such as receiving new panels in Puzzle Swap).
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kuribo
3M agoFarewell sweet princes.
mock turtle
3M agoThis is hideously anti-consumer and we should all be mad as hell about it. More so for the 3DS, but still. Shame on Nintendo for doing this.
lionk
3M agoBetter to not depend on online functionalities. Especially with player creation sharing experiences. I hope with the next Nintendo console online functions can be switched off in a way you wont see miss it in any way. So there will be no bunch of errors throughout your gaming experiences on the console after just a few years.
mako
3M agoI was just playing my 3DS the other day reminiscing about all the great games and memories I have with it. Very sad they are ending online services, but I guess it is 13 years old now. It's still a shame...
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