Nintendo fans are bidding farewell to popular games like Splatoon and Animal Crossing: New Leaf as the online servers for the Wii U and 3DS are being shut down. This marks the end of online multiplayer for these consoles, leaving fan-made servers as the only alternative for accessing online features. Players have logged in for the last time to enjoy games such as Splatoon before the servers were taken offline for good. With the shutdown of the servers, it is now impossible to use online functionality in games like Pokemon X & Y, Splatoon, Mario Kart 8, and Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS through conventional means.
Moving forward, fans will have to rely on fan-made servers to access online features, similar to the situation with the original Wii. This shift signifies the likely end of online matches on these consoles as Nintendo looks towards the future with the Switch and its upcoming successor. On social media, Nintendo fans are expressing their appreciation for the consoles, with many taking the opportunity to reminisce by playing a few rounds of Splatoon or saying goodbye to Animal Crossing: New Leaf. The shutdown has particularly impacted games like Splatoon, known for its strong online play appeal.
The servers were officially taken offline as scheduled, following the long lifecycles of the 3DS and Wii U consoles, which launched in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The closure of the servers for the Wii U and 3DS now aligns them with their predecessors, the Wii and DS, which had their online servers shut down in 2014. As a result, the Switch remains the only Nintendo console with active online play. However, rumors suggest that this status may not last much longer, as there are expectations of a new console from the company next year.
