Nintendo has officially announced that it will be shutting down online play on 3DS and Wii U on April 8 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET / 12am (April 9) GMT.
Nintendo had previously closed down the eShops for both systems back in March 2023, but players have been able to continue using online services in-game, such as online multiplayer and rankings.
Once online services end on April 8, games will only be playable offline. This will particularly impact games with a heavy emphasis on online play, such as the original Splatoon on Wii U.
Players will still be able to play games offline after online services end. Nintendo notes that Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter will still retain online functionality.
Nintendo stresses that this only relates to in-game online functionality, and that it will still be possible to download update data and redownload purchased software and DLC from the 3DS and Wii U eShops “for the foreseeable future”.
Nintendo closed down the Wii U and 3DS eShops on March 27, effectively making around 1000 digital-only eShop games disappear for good. The closure also meant the termination of the final systems to support the Virtual Console service.
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