Key Points:
- Nintendo is ending online services for its 3DS and Wii U consoles in “early April 2024,” affecting various aspects of online gameplay and features.
- Multiplayer features, online co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution for games will no longer be available.
- The Pokémon Bank cloud storage service will continue to operate, though its future is uncertain.
- Users will still be able to redownload previously purchased games and receive patches “for the foreseeable future.”
- Nintendo temporarily suspended online play for Wii U titles like Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon in March 2023 to address security issues before restoring them in August.
- SpotPass features will be discontinued, but StreetPass interactions will continue to work between 3DS devices as long as other players are available.
- The 3DS was launched in 2010 and discontinued in 2020, while the Wii U, released in 2012, was discontinued in 2017.
