3DS and Wii U eShop purchases end in March 2023

eurogamer.net:

Nintendo will close the 3DS and Wii U eShops to new purchases in March 2023.

After this point, the ability to buy games or download free-to-play titles and demos will be gone for good. Download codes will also not function.

However, you will still be able to redownload previously-purchased games and DLC, receive software updates, and play online.

Eurogamer Newscast: February's Nintendo Direct Digested.

You will no longer be able to add funds to a Wii U or 3DS eShop account via credit card from 23rd May this year. And from 29th August this year, you will no longer be able to add funds from a Nintendo eShop Card.

Nintendo made the announcement this morning via its social media channels, and linked to a Nintendo Support blog with further details, including a Q&A.

When that page went live, it included a section on Nintendo's duty to preserve access to classic games, and a question on whether Nintendo would «make classic games available to own some other way». Wrote Nintendo: «Doesn't Nintendo have an obligation to preserve its classic games by continually making them available for purchase?»

«Across our Nintendo Switch Online membership plans, over 130 classic games are currently available in growing libraries for various legacy systems. The games are often enhanced with new features such as online play.

»We think this is an effective way to make classic content easily available to a broad range of players. Within these libraries, new and long-time players can not only find games they remember or have heard about, but other fun games they might not have thought to seek out otherwise.

«We currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways.»

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