Announcement of Discontinuation of Online Services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Software - Update April 2024
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 has ended 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 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
Can I still play offline even after online services have ended?
Yes. Players are still able to use features and game modes that do not require online communication.
Are any online services still available even after online services have generally ended?
It is still possible to use online services for the following software, but that may also end at some point in the future.
- Pokémon Bank
- Poké Transporter
Are you also ending online services for software from publishers other than Nintendo?
With some exceptions, online services have ended for all Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. Please contact publishers for information about the online services for their software.
Is it still possible to download update data or purchased software?
For the foreseeable future, it is still 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 systems, meaning that it will still be available even after online services end. However, because SpotPass uses online communication, SpotPass features are no longer available.
For example, you are able to use StreetPass in StreetPass Mii Plaza, which is pre-installed on Nintendo 3DS systems, but you are no longer able to use features that use online communication (such as receiving new panels in Puzzle Swap).