It was announced back in October, but now the time is finally here. As of Monday, April 8, 2024, Nintendo will officially shut down the online services for both the Wii U and 3DS.
That means anyone who wants to play games online with friends or other people on either console has just a couple more days to do so. When the services go offline, players will no longer be able to play online multiplayer or track leaderboards in any way. Any game that had online multiplayer will be able to be played in offline mode only.
Despite online play ending, players will still be able to download any update data that’s needed or redownload any DLC that had already been purchased. Nintendo says that will remain “for the foreseeable future” with no mention of when it could come to an end.
Those who use StreetPass will still be able to utilize the feature. However, SpotPass will no longer be available for players.
If you have any other questions about what the services ending means for you, Nintendo does have a small FAQ on its website.
Online play will be shut down at 7pm ET/4pm PT on Monday.
What memories do you have playing online on the Wii U or 3DS? For more Insider Gaming, check out what game players want made into a movie more than any other.
