3DS and Wii U eShop purchases end in March 2023 Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. 3DS and Wii U eShop purchases end in March 2023 Nintendo deletes FAQ answer on game preservation. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 16 Feb 2022 43 comments 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. Watch on YouTube 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." This section has now been removed without explanation. We've asked Nintendo for comment. Even after late March 2023, and for the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to redownload your games and DLC, receive software updates and enjoy online play on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS family systems.- Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) February 16, 2022 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Other parts of the Q&A state that the Wii U and 3DS eShops were being retired as "part of the natural lifecycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time", and note that Nintendo is giving "more than a year" of notice. The ability to redownload games and receive software updates, as well as play games online, will continue "for the foreseeable future", Nintendo said. To soften the blow, Nintendo has launched a My 3DS and Wii U Memories service, where you can look at play stats from your time with its aging consoles. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Reaction to the announcement has been negative, and many have pointed to the digital-only games which will no longer be available when the stores shut. Some have compared the decision to Sony's announcement it would shutter the PS3 and Vita stores - something it later dramatically U-turned on after fan criticism. (The PSP store was still closed, however.) Do you still play your 3DS and Wii U? Are there any games you'll now pick up? Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store