Nintendo has announced that they will be discontinishing the online servers for 3DS and Wii U games by early April 2024, however, Pokémon Bank will be exempted from this decision.

This information was shared via a tweet and an update on Nintendo's support website, showing their gratitude for the players' continuous support while confirming the impending shutdown in six months. Nintendo clarified that online play and functions involving online communication will cease, including online co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution.

Notably, Pokémon Bank, an application that connects all the digital Pokémon Game Boy Games with Game Boy Advance, DS, and Nintendo 3DS titles, will remain operational. Still, it might eventually face discontinuation in the future. This app is the only link for transferring Pokémon from these games to the Nintendo Switch via Pokémon Home.

Despite this news, games can still be played offline on these platforms. StreetPass, a popular 3DS social interaction game, will also continue as it operates on local and not online communication.

This shutdown does not come as a surprise considering the lifecycle of the Switch, Wii U, and 3DS. The eShops for both Wii U and 3DS systems were closed in March 2023, which ceased the purchase of new games on these platforms.

As for the Switch, Nintendo intends to continue producing new games until at least 2025, and it's speculated that the company will release its next-gen console during the second half of 2024.