Nintendo has officially confirmed the discontinuation of online services for Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii U consoles will take place on 8 April 2024 at 4:00 pm PDT. As previously announced, beyond this date, any games or game modes that use online services on either console will be rendered unplayable – although the 3DS and Wii U consoles will maintain existing functionality, and any non-online game will still work.
“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,” Nintendo revealed on its website. “This also includes online co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution.”
“We sincerely thank players for using the online services of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software over a long period of time and apologise for any inconvenience.”
Read: Online service for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U ends in April 2024
The removal of online services for the 3DS and Wii U consoles follows the discontinuation of their respective Nintendo eShops, both of which shut down in March 2023. With a new Nintendo console likely on the way in 2024, it appears now is the time to bid farewell to the past, and look to a brighter future.
Going forward, it will still be possible to download update data on both consoles, and to redownload purchased software and downloadable content from the Nintendo eShops, but it does appear a number of games will be lost with this planned closure. Most notably, the original Splatoon will be sunsetted entirely once online service for the Wii U ends.
There are exceptions, as previously announced – Pokemon Bank will remain functional, per Nintendo, as will StreetPass (as this uses local communication, rather than online connection) – but regardless, the closure of online services represents a significant loss for players who still enjoy multiplayer gameplay on 3DS and Wii U.
As an additional note, Nintendo has also confirmed that it will soon stop players from merging their Nintendo eShop fund balance with their modern Nintendo Network ID / Nintendo Accounts, with all transfers ceasing on 11 March 2024 at 10:00 pm PDT. If you have any remaining funds in your older Nintendo accounts, now is the time to shift them.
As the future marches ever onwards, we thank both consoles for their service, and for all the memories.
