Nintendo 3DS And Wii U Online Services End In April

Following last year’s announcement that Nintendo will be pulling the plug off Nintendo 3DS and Wii U sometime this year, although no specific date was disclosed. Now Nintendo has revealed the official end dates of both services.

Based on the official Nintendo Customer Support page, it has been announced that all features, functionalities, and services that rely on online communication in Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software will be discontinued on 8 April 2024, 4:00 PM (PDT). This cessation includes online co-op, internet rankings, and data distribution for all Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software.

Update: as of 4/8, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end service for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. Thank you very much for your continued support of our products.

Find out more: https://t.co/VdIdewGmB5

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 24, 2024

However, there are two notable exceptions: Pokemon Bank and Pokemon Transporter, commonly used by Pokemon players to facilitate Pokemon transfer between old and new hardware.

StreetPass will still be operational even after the cessation of the service because it utilizes local communication among the Nintendo 3DS family systems. However, the SpotPass feature will no longer be accessible following the discontinuation of the service as it relies on online communication.

All games on both the Nintendo Switch and Wii U systems will lose their online functionality, including titles heavily dependent on online services like Splatoon and Super Mario Maker.