Nintendo’s move will end online multiplayer for games like Splatoon, Mario Kart 7, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and Monster Hunter 4
After the closure of the Wii U and 3DS digital storefronts in March 2023, Nintendo is preparing to turn out the lights for online gaming on both systems. The platform holder has announced that online services for 3DS and Wii U software will be discontinued on April 8, 2024, at 1 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT.
This means that any form of online connectivity for 3DS and Wii U games is going away in six months’ time. All online multiplayer, leaderboards, and other “data distribution” will cease, Nintendo said. The only exceptions are Pokémon Bank, a paid cloud backup for your Pokémon collections (which has since been superseded by Pokémon Home), and the Poké Transporter.
3DS and Wii U games will remain playable offline, and it will still be possible to download update data and redownload game purchases. Nintendo said that online support for third-party games will also end, “with some exceptions.”
“Please note that if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, we may have to discontinue services earlier than planned,” Nintendo warned.
