The Wii U and Nintendo 3DS saw the closure of their respective eShops earlier this year, but the ability to download previously purchased software and to play online is still available, until 2024 that is.

Nintendo recently announced that online services will end next year, which includes support for still populated online titles such as the original Splatoon and Mario Kart 8.

It is worth noting that some third party games may stay online, such as how Call of Duty only recently closed its online services for the Wii and Nintendo DS.

And for you Poké fans out there, Pokémon Bank will still be useable for now:

"It will still be possible to use online services for [Pokémon Bank] but that may also end at some point in the future."

Services will be discontinued in April 2024, with an exact date to be confirmed by Nintendo in the future. You can find their full statement below:

Thank you very much for supporting our products.

In early 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 time 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 apologize for any inconvenience.

* This includes software exclusive to New Nintendo 3DS.

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).