Nintendo recently announced that the Nintendo Switch eShop and all its network services will be shut down in China on March 31, 2026. After this day, the eShop in China will no longer sell games and other software, both paid and free. Additionally, on May 15, 2026, players will no longer be able to download games, redeem codes, and download DLC. Lastly, players who own a Chinese Switch with a WeChat account linked to it will receive up to 4 Nintendo Switch games for free from November 27 2024 until March 31, 2026. Players can only redeem the free games once per WeChat account. The games players can choose from include New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Party, Mario Tennis Aces, Yoshi’s Crafted World, Flexible Brain School, Dr Kawashima’s Brain Exercises, Kirby Star Allies, New Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Go! Pikachu, and Pokémon Let’s Go! Eevee.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa made a statement on Twitter earlier this year that Nintendo will announce its next console and the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. The fiscal year notably ends on March 31, 2025. According to a past statement by Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, the publisher will keep releasing new titles and content for Nintendo Switch “without being bound by the traditional concept of the platform lifecycle,” and states that the company “would like to continue to see many consumers play Nintendo Switch, and to maintain our business momentum.” This statement was made during the company’s second quarter financial results presentation as spotted by Gematsu. It likely means that the Switch will continue to receive support even after a new console is eventually released. Additionally, Furukawa also stated that the paid Nintendo Switch Online service has surpassed a total of 38 million registered users as of September 30, 2023, and that the company also plans on “expanding the content available through Nintendo Switch Online.”
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