Nintendo Announces Discontinuation of 3DS and Wii U Online Services

Nintendo recently announced that the online services for games on both the 3DS and the Wii U will be discontinued on April 8th. This won’t impact the ability to play games offline, and certain functions like StreetPass (which uses local communication) and the ability to update and redownload purchased software will still function. This next step in the slow wind-down of Nintendo’s previous consoles comes after the 3DS and Wii U eShops closed in March 2023.

Nintendo thanked players for supporting their products and in a statement that said “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.” Players will still have a few months to enjoy online services on these consoles, though Nintendo did also warn that in the event that they need to shut down services early, they may do just that.

Several important questions were also answered at the end of Nintendo’s statement, clarifying that certain features such as SpotPass will no longer be available after April 8th because this feature uses online communication, not local. Also worth noting, Nintendo recommended individuals contact certain third party publishers for further information about online services for specific games, but said: “With some exceptions, online services will end for all Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software.”

Pokémon Bank is the only software specifically called out as having online services continue for the foreseeable future, though Nintendo also said online services could “end at some point in the future” for this software as well. The ability to transfer individual Pokémon between games through Pokémon Bank is a valuable service for fans of the series, so certain fans will be glad to hear this.

What are your thoughts on this shut down? Do you still use your 3DS or Wii U? Leave a comment below letting us know your thoughts!