Nintendo 3DS, Wii U Online Services Ending in 2024

Online play and other features that use online communication will end for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software in early April 2024, Nintendo has announced. The discontinuation of online services means online co-op play, internet rankings, and data distribution will all cease. The company will announce a specific end date and time at a later date. However, they also cautioned that services may be discontinued earlier than planned if an event makes it difficult to continue online services.

Two known exceptions to the shutdown are Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter, although these services may also be discontinued in the future. In the Q&A, Nintendo did say there may be other exceptions for software from other publishers, but didn’t specify any details or specifics.

This announcement does not affect eShop-related purchases and downloads. For the foreseeable future, users will still be able to download update data and redownload games and content from the Nintendo eShop for the 3DS and Wii U systems. For those concerned about StreetPass and SpotPass, it’s worth noting that StreetPass will continue to function as it relies on local communication. SpotPass, however, uses online communication so those features will no longer be available. That means, no more receiving new panels in Puzzle Swap, for example.