It was previously rumored, and now it’s official: Nintendo’s Miiverse social network will shut down across Wii U and 3DS on November 7th, 2017, at 10 PM Pacific. In addition to its console counterparts, the closure affects the mobile and web platforms. Other Wii U-specific operations including the video client Wii U Chat and Nintendo TVii (still operating in Japan) will also be shuttered that day.
With the death of the Miiverse client also comes the end of its game-specific features in software. Nintendo of America refers to the following games as the tip of the iceberg:
– Super Mario Maker (Wii U): Users will still be able to share levels, but will no longer be able to comment on them.
– Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (Wii U, Nintendo 3DS): While users will still be able to play Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars and complete all 88 levels in the main game, the Community feature will be discontinued, preventing players from sharing levels and receiving additional Stars. As there will be a limit to the number of Stars that can be obtained, not all objects may be unlocked from the Workshop.
– Splatoon (Wii U): Miiverse posts will no longer display in Inkopolis Plaza or the game’s stage maps.
– Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (Wii U, Nintendo 3DS): The Miiverse stage will still be playable, but Miiverse user posts will not display in the background. Players will also be unable to post replays to YouTube/Miiverse, share stages or create tournaments.
– Mario Kart 8 (Wii U): Players will not be able to upload game-play videos to YouTube since they also post to Miiverse at the same time. The tournament function will also not be available.
– Super Mario 3D World (Wii U): In Super Mario 3D World, the Miiverse posts that appear on the course select screen and when selecting courses will disappear. Players will still be able to collect in-game stamps, but not post them to Miiverse.
– Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U): In Xenoblade Chronicles X, the BLADE report feature will no longer be available.
If you’re a fan of Miiverse who wants to preserve your every post, Nintendo has you covered. From now until the shutdown date on November 7th, users with a linked Nintendo Network account can request an archive of their Miiverse posts, including drawings and screenshots. This won’t include comments or messages exchanged with friends, nor deleted or blocked posts as determined by the Code of Conduct. When Miiverse is gone, an email with the link to your archive will be sent to you.
As to why Miiverse is shutting down just shy of its 5th birthday, Nintendo cites that “among other reasons, many users are shifting to social networking services.” The Nintendo Switch has no replacement for Miiverse, but users have been able to upload screenshots directly to social media, and Splatoon 2 has a pseudo-replacement with in-game doodles from users as an option.
With only two months to spare, it is best to make the most of Miiverse and its game-related features while you still can. Nintendo will keep the icon on the home menus of Wii U and 3DS, but it will be non-functional and will simply display an error message. Miiverse originally launched with the Wii U on November 18th, 2012 and made it to 3DS a year later.
