Online multiplayer and ranked competition will no longer work on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U starting next year.
According to VGC, Nintendo has announced that the online feature for 3DS and Wii U games will end in early April 2024. Previously in March, the company closed the eShop for both classic gaming systems, but players could still continue to use in-game online services, such as online multiplayer and ratings.
However, from April next year, this function will be closed, meaning games will only be able to be played offline. This announcement will especially impact games that focus on online play, such as Splatoon on Wii U.
Nintendo said it will announce a specific shutdown date in the future, and the official shutdown will take place at a later date. But the company also noted that if an event occurs that makes it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, it may have to discontinue the service sooner than planned.
The company emphasizes that this only concerns in-game online functionality, and that it will still be possible to download updated data and redownload purchased games and DLC from the 3DS and Wii U eShop for the foreseeable future.
Nintendo shut down the Wii U and 3DS eShop on March 27, causing about 1,000 digital eShop games to disappear forever. The closure also means the end of the last systems supporting the Virtual Console service. Now, the only classic games offered by Nintendo are those available on Switch Online’s various apps.