The online functionality for the Wii U and 3DS will come to an end on 8th April, according to a tweet from the official Nintendo of America account. Nintendo had previously said that the servers for the Wii U and 3DS would shut down in October 2023. But this latest announcement has given fans a specific date for the online services on the consoles to end.

Nintendo, a major player in the video game industry, became well-known for creating first-party franchises like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. It also gained recognition for being the first company to create portable gaming devices. Users are disappointed to discover that despite the Wii U and 3DS's wildly divergent levels of commercial success, these two devices' online services will eventually end.

Nintendo is set to formally end its online services for the Wii U and 3DS on 8th April. The announcement states that features related to online play and communication will be discontinued. To use any remaining points on the Nintendo Switch, fans will have until March 11 to connect any unused Nintendo eShop balances with their Nintendo Accounts.The service termination signifies the inevitable end of the consoles' life cycles, but fans can still use their devices for offline play, according to the Nintendo customer service announcement. Audiences have expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, despite some speculating that the move might align with rumours of the Nintendo Switch 2 release and preparations. Fans are hoping that new features on the Switch 2, which is still rumoured, will make up for the functionality that the Wii U and 3DS lacked.

When Are the 3DS and Wii U Servers Going to Be Closed?

The Wii U and 3DS online servers will be shut down on Monday, 8th April at 4:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time. The deadline for fans to transfer their eShop points to their Nintendo Account is Monday, 11th March at 10 p.m PDT. Players have expressed dissatisfaction over the planned end of online play, despite the fact that many fans have persisted in enjoying the games the systems provided. Despite not experiencing the same level of commercial success as the 3DS, gamers could still access a sizable selection of Wii U titles. 

Over the years, many iconic consoles have come and gone, but among them the most memorable ones are the Wii U and 3DS. Given that Nintendo's stock is at an all-time high, it should not be surprising that the company is looking to the future. There will be tons of new Nintendo games this year to look forward to, even though owners of older systems might no longer be able to play online.