Nintendo 3DS and Wii U online play and services to end on April 2024

[DPadDoc]

Earlier this week, Nintendo announced that online play for both Nintendo 3DS and Wii U will end on April of 2024 (no exact date given), marking the end of free online play for any proper home and/or handheld console (PC and mobile devices don't count). With the eShops for both the aforementioned consoles closed this past March and various media apps no longer officially supporting those same consoles, it was inevitable that online play would be (next to) the very last thing to go (Pokémon Bank will still be useable until TPC pulls the plug on that).

If you want to play online matches in Mario Kart 7 or 8, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and/or Wii U, Splatoon (Wii U original) et al, this is probably your last chance to do so. If you have any Wonderlockes (a Nuzlocke variant that incorporates Wonder Trades for those not in the know) in the 3DS mainline Pokémon games you want to do or still need to complete, do them as soon as possible.

The full FAQ regarding the online play closure is right here.

The FAQ didn't mention anything regarding the Internet Browser for both Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, I hope that's still useable after April 2024.

[Tiger21820]

Time for those geinuses to get to work on creating those unofficial servers!

[DPadDoc]

As for unofficial/fanmade servers, all I know is that CTGP-7 (Mario Kart 7 only) and Pretendo Network are going to have a field day getting everything set up for 2024 and beyond in light of this unfortunate news.

[Tiger21820]

I'm also going to have a field day updating all the world records for the Nintendo 3DS Central Record Hall (E.G. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Sonic Lost World (sadly not all world records will be updated), etc.) before they're gone for good!

But you know what WON'T die from the online sunset? STREET PASS!!!

[Demon_skeith]

Was always a matter of time. Guess I should look into homebrew my 3DS now.

[Tiger21820]

Nintendo continues their 'Loving' trend of 'Planned Obsolescence'!