Nintendo announced that the company is ending online play and functionality for 3DS and Wii U games in April 2024. This means that players will no longer be able to connect online in 3DS and Wii U games as Nintendo seemingly prepares for its next generation system.
Nintendo thanks its players for supporting 3DS and Wii U over the years. However, the company notes that online play and functionality will be ending, including co-op, internet rankings, and data distribution. Nintendo Badge Arcade will also be affected, and Nintendo plans on sharing a specific end date and time at a later date.
A full Q&A involving the end of online support may be found below from Nintendo’s support website.
Nintendo Ends Online Play for 3DS and Wii U – Q&A
Will I still be able to play offline even after online services end?
Yes. Players will still be able to use features and game modes that do not require online communication.
Will any online services still be available even after online services generally end?
It will still be possible to use online services for the following software but that may also end at some point in the future.
- Pokémon Bank
Are you also ending online services for software from publishers other than Nintendo?
With some exceptions, online services will end for all Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. Please contact publishers for information about the online services for their software.
Will it still be possible to download update data or purchased software?
For the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to download update data and redownload purchased software and downloadable content from Nintendo eShop.
When online services end, will StreetPass and SpotPass no longer be available either?
StreetPass uses local communication between Nintendo 3DS family systems, meaning that it will still be available even after online services end. However, because SpotPass uses online communication, SpotPass features will no longer be available.
For example, you will be able to use StreetPass in StreetPass Mii Plaza, which is pre-installed on Nintendo 3DS family systems, but you will no longer be able to use features that use online communication (such as receiving new panels in Puzzle Swap).
