Nintendo announced to shut down the Nintendo eShop for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in late March 2023. Players will no longer be able to make purchases and download free content, including game demos after the shut down.
In addition to this, services will gradually shut down, including:
- It will no longer be possible to use a credit card to add funds to an account in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems from May 23, 2022 and onwards.
- It will no longer be possible to use a Nintendo eShop Card to add funds to an account in the two systems from August 29, 2022. However, it will still be possible to redeem download codes until the service discontinuation on late March 27, 2023.
In the FAQ section of the announcement, Nintendo claims that the reason for this discontinuation is part of the natural lifecycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time, since the two console productions have halted for quite a while now.
However, even after the service shutdowns, any content in your library can still be downloaded. However, if you have any free games or content you wish to purchase, it is recommended you do so as quickly as possible.
▍Look Back Your Memories on Wii U & Nintendo 3DS eShop!
A special website where players can look back on their memories on the two consoles has been released. By logging in using a Nintendo Account that has a Nintendo Network ID binded to it, you can see statistics such as your most played title, and how many hours you spent on each console.
