Nintendo to close 3DS and Wii U eShop in 42 countries
A recent announcement from Nintendo Support has confirmed the imminent closure of the limited Nintendo eShop for the 3DS and Wii U systems across a whopping 42 countries.
The statement originally appeared on the official Nintendo Support page for the Americas. As of July 31, 2020, the limited eShops for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems that have facilitated game code redemption in recent years will be completely closed in 42 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to the statement, "users in the affected regions will no longer be able to access [the eShops] to redeem a download code, redownload software, or update software, so we encourage users to take any such actions before the closure date."
"Also, any software that requires the limited Nintendo eShops to operate may cease to function," it continues.
The statement also includes an addendum noting that Mexico and Brazil will be unaffected by the closure.
Nintendo has offered a brief guide on what to do if you reside in an affected region, asking that players take action before the end of July. The recommended precautions include redownloading any previously-downloaded software, checking the eShop for any updates available for already purchased software, and redeeming any download codes that have yet to be redeemed.
"We encourage anyone with unredeemed codes to redeem them before the limited Nintendo eShops close on July 31, 2020," the statement notes. "After that, it will not be possible to redeem any codes."
The given reasoning behind the closure is mostly bureaucratic jargon, with the FAQ section devoted to why this closure is taking place simply reading, "We constantly re-evaluate our business and make decisions based on a variety of factors," and the section on future plans being answered with, "We have nothing to announce on this topic."
Mexico and Brazil are unaffected due to the fact that full eShops are available in these countries. The full list of affected countries, in alphabetical order, reads as follows:
Anguilla, Antigua/Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent/Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands, Uruguay, Venezuela.
In related eShop news, players in China have been prohibited from accessing Animal Crossing: New Horizons without switching regions. Meanwhile Wii U title Super Mario 3D World could be coming to Switch, alongside beloved The Wonderful 101.