Wii U and 3DS Nintendo eShop purchases to cease from March 2023 - Pokémon Bank service to continue free of charge

Nintendo have announced that the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS eShops will be progressively closing over the next year, with users unable to purchase new games from March 2023. Following this announcement, The Pokémon Company have issued a statement to inform users that the paid Pokémon Bank service will be made free from the date of this closure.

Players interested in picking up a few last minute games might not want to wait around until this time next year to try and pick up some last minute bargains however. From May 23rd, it will no longer be possible to add funds to your Nintendo eShop account via Wii U and 3DS using a credit card. From August 29th, adding funds via Nintendo eShop cards will also be discontinued. After this date, those users who properly linked their accounts to those on the Nintendo Switch should still be able to add funds to their wallet via the Nintendo Switch eShop, however we wouldn't suggest waiting and relying on this if you already know there's something you want to pick up.

At this point in time, Nintendo has stated that users who have already purchased digital games will continue to be able to download these games past March 2023, and that this will continue to be available for the forseeable future. Given that it's still possible to download Wii titles, more than 3 years after the Wii Shop Channel closed to new sales, it's likely that purchases will remain available for many years to come.

This closure will of course impact on a number of Pokémon titles. While physical copies of titles such as Pokémon X/Y, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, Sun/Moon, and Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon will remain in circulation, it's already practically impossible to find new copies in the wild, and prices for these cartridges on the secondary market will only continue to rise further once digital copies become unavailable. Digital only titles like Pokémon Picross will also become completely inaccessible to those who weren't fortunate enough to download them beforehand.

There is at least some reassuring news to go with this doom and gloom however. The Pokémon Company has announced that Pokémon Bank, the paid downloadable software service that serves as a complement to the Pokémon Storage System, will continue to operate for free for all users following the closure of eShop purchases in March 2023. The Pokémon Company has not at this point in time committed to a specific time frame for the Pokémon Bank service remaining open, but this should at least give players plenty of time to transfer their precious Pokémon from 3DS Pokémon titles through to Pokémon Home, for continued play with games on the Nintendo Switch. To make use of this service, players must have downloaded and set up Pokémon Bank and it's companion Poké Transporter app on their 3DS consoles prior to the closure of the eShop.

Why is this happening?​

This is part of the natural lifecycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time.

Why are you announcing this now?​

We are providing this notice more than a year in advance of the end of purchases so users will have plenty of time to prepare.

Are any other services or functions of Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems going to be discontinued, such as online play?​

There are no plans to make any further changes at this time.

How long will it still be possible to redownload previously purchased content in Nintendo eShop for Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems? How long will those systems still support online play?​

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.

There are still Nintendo eShop Cards at retailers that show the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS logos. What will happen to them?​

• These cards will continue to be at retail while supplies last.
• All Nintendo eShop Cards can be used to add funds to a Nintendo Account balance for use on the Nintendo Switch
• This can be done via Nintendo eShop on the system itself.

If someone visits Nintendo eShop and wants to download something on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family systems after late March 2023, what will they able to do?​

• On both platforms, users will still be able to:
  • Redownload content they own
  • Download existing software updates
• On both platforms, users will notbe able to:
  • Purchase any content
    • On Nintendo 3DS, this includes paid content, plays and passes in software such as StreetPass Mii Plaza, Theme Shop, Nintendo Badge Arcade and Pokémon Bank.
    • On Wii U, this includes passes in software such as Wii Sports Club.
  • Download demos
  • Download free-to-start software
  • Redeem a download code
  • Add funds to their Nintendo eShop balance
• On Nintendo 3DS family systems, users will still be able to:
  • Download a small number of free themes from Theme Shop

 

Will I have to have purchased Pokémon Bank beforehand to have access to it for free?

 

Well, it's a good thing that Pokemon Bank will become free to use, so I can transfer all needed Pokemon to complete the Home Pokedex.

 

Will I have to have purchased Pokémon Bank beforehand to have access to it for free?

You will need to have it downloaded to use it, at the very least.

 

It feels like it was yesterday that the Nintendo WFC on the DS was being shutdown. Sucks just as much here as it did there.

 

It feels like it was yesterday that the Nintendo WFC on the DS was being shutdown. Sucks just as much here as it did there.

Yeah, it does fell like it was just yesterday when the DS servers went to the server graveyard. And now the end of the 3DS era is almost upon us just like the Nintendo DS era before it. Soon Gens 6 and 7 will fade into obscurity like Gens 4 and 5 did, no longer having accessibility to other players across the world, and its own servers will head to the server graveyard like the DS before it. Kinda depressing, to be honest.

 

Ugh, this sucks so much. Looks like I better hunker down and buy games on both consoles—DLC included—before its too late. Especially on my Wii U. I still need to get Ace Attorney Spirit of Justice!