Nintendo announced that as of April 8th, 2024 at 4PM PDT, online services for the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS will no longer exist. This means any downloads from the Nintendo eShops for new software or many games that support online functionality on those platforms will no longer be available. Also, things such as internet rankings and online data distribution will no longer operate either. After more than a decade, the longstanding support for these old systems finally come to a close. It’s likely the closure is to pave the way for the next great gaming system.
This should come as no surprise to Nintendo fans since it was in March of last year that the sales of software and DLC for the 3DS and Wii U via the Nintendo eShop came to an end. Once something like that happens, it isn’t too much later that online support follows. The good thing is that for some applications, online functionality will still be available such as for Pokemon Bank and the Poke Transporter. Any purchased hardware will still be attainable as well. However, this is all subject to be changed at any moment if Nintendo has a problem or deems it necessary. So be wary.
News of this degree may seem a bit discouraging, but if we are able to suppress our sadness, we may see the light at the end of the tunnel. Could Nintendo putting a stop to these things mean they have something new, albeit better coming soon? Rumors have been running rampant of Nintendo adding 3DS and Gamecube to Nintendo Online. Could this be the start of us heading toward that path? And with the Switch 2 rumored to be revealed any day now, could we see something replacing all this sooner rather than later? For the sake of all things amazing on the 3DS and Wii U, I sure hope so.
