3DS eShop
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life

Nintendo has announced the discontinuation of the 3DS eShop and the Wii U eShop as of "late March" 2023.

While you'll still be able to redownload games and DLC, receive software updates and play online beyond this date, the ability to purchase games will "no longer be possible" and new content will no longer be released on these digital storefronts.

Credit cards can no longer be used to add funds as of 23rd May 2022 and Nintendo eShop card funds can no longer be added to eShop accounts as of 29th August 2022. However, download codes can still be redeemed until late March 2023.

Here's the full rundown, courtesy of Nintendo's official support page:

Wii U & Nintendo 3DS eShop Discontinuation

Applies to: New Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS XL, New Nintendo 2DS XL, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2DS, Wii U Deluxe, Wii U Basic.

As of late March 2023, it will no longer be possible to make purchases in Nintendo eShop for the Wii U system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. It will also no longer be possible to download free content, including game demos. Furthermore, as this date draws closer, related services will cease to function:

As of May 23, 2022, 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.

As of August 29, 2022, it will no longer be possible to use a Nintendo eShop Card to add funds to an account in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. However, it will still be possible to redeem download codes until late March 2023.

Users who link their Nintendo Network ID wallet (used with Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems) with their Nintendo Account wallet (used with the Nintendo Switch family of systems) can use the shared balance to purchase content on any of these systems until late March 2023. After that, the balance can only be used to purchase content for the Nintendo Switch family of systems.

No changes are planned for Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch family of systems.

The changes to Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems will simultaneously take effect in software on these platforms where it is possible to make purchases, such as StreetPass Mii Plaza, Theme Shop and Nintendo Badge Arcade.

Even after late March 2023, and for the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to redownload games and DLC, receive software updates and enjoy online play on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

To mark the end of the eShop on the 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo has launched a 'My Memories' website - where you can look back on your gaming history with each of these systems.

We thank you for supporting Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. While we hope that you will continue to enjoy using these systems, we have taken this opportunity to prepare a website where you can look back on your time with them via various play statistics.

  • Visit My Nintendo 3DS & Wii U Memories

If you're still a bit confused, you can read a comprehensive Q&A over on Nintendo's official support page.

Here's an especially depressing piece of info, spotted by Kotaku:

Q: Once it is no longer possible to purchase software in Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, many classic games for past platforms will cease to be available for purchase anywhere. Will you make classic games available to own some other way? If not, then why? Doesn't Nintendo have an obligation to preserve its classic games by continually making them available for purchase?

A: 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 longtime 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.

Nintendo previously removed credit card support from the 3DS and Wii U eShop in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. And Japan ended credit card purchases on the 3DS and Wii U eShop last month.

How do you feel about the 3DS and Wii U digital stores winding down? Leave a comment down below.

[source en-americas-support.nintendo.com]