Nintendo Announces End Of Online Service For 3DS And Wii U Following eShop Shutdown
Nintendo recently announced that the online services for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U will be terminated in early April 2024. The company stated that it would provide a specific date and time for the event sometime later. Nintendo noted that "if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services," the online functionality may be discontinued earlier than projected.
Services that will no longer be available after the plug is pulled include internet rankings, data distribution, and online co-op. These suspensions will not affect the online features of the Nintendo Switch in any way, just the legacy systems.
Alongside the online shutdown is the suspension of the "Nintendo Badge Arcade." This 3DS program lets users collect Nintendo-themed Badges and place them on their Home Menu. The company stated that attempting to launch the free software after the online shutdown would result in an error message.
However, users will still be able to access the offline Badge Box on the Home Menu. Players just won't be able to pull items from their online Badge inventory. Because of this, Nintendo recommends users fill their Badge Boxes with their favorite Badges before the service shuts off.
Not all is lost
Nintendo 3DS and Wii U gamers will still be able to play offline games on their devices. Users will also be able to download update data and any software or DLC already purchased from the Nintendo eShop. However, it's important to note that you cannot simply go and purchase the games you missed out on before the shutdown, as the online store ceased operations in March of this year.
A few services will remain functional after Nintendo completes its general online shutdown. StreetPass, the application that lets users communicate directly between devices, will remain available since it utilizes a local connection.
Additionally, the "Pokemon Bank" and "Poke Transporter" applications will retain their online functionalities. "Pokemon Bank," made free earlier this year, allows users to store up to 3,000 Pokemon in an online bank. "Poke transporter" is a companion application to "Pokemon Bank" that allows users to transfer Pokemon from Gen 5 games and the Virtual Console versions of Gen 1 and 2 to their online inventory.
Although Nintendo is keeping these applications functional for now, it stated that they "may also end at some point in the future." Many "Pokemon" fans are urging others to transfer their pocket monsters to the Switch's "Pokemon Home" before it is too late.