Online communication will end on April 8th for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS titles. This applies to all first-party and the vast majority of third-party titles.

There may be some third parties that still allow online communication, much like how Call of Duty on the Wii only discontinued its servers in August of last year.

You’ll still be able to download update data for titles for the foreseeable future, and Pokémon Bank is an exception when it comes to ending online communication. Here’s the full announcement from Nintendo:

Thank you very much for your continued support of our products.

As of 8 April 2024, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end for Nintendo 3DS* and Wii U software. This also includes online co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution.

You can find more information about badges for decorating the Nintendo 3DS HOME Menu using Nintendo Badge Arcade here.

We will announce a specific end date and timing at a later date.

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.

We sincerely thank players for using the online services of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software over a long period of time and apologise for any inconvenience.

* This includes software exclusive to New Nintendo 3DS.

 

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).