Nintendo enthusiasts using Wii U and 3DS have surpassed a record previously held by Halo 2 players by engaging in online gameplay following the planned closure of the system's servers. These Nintendo fans have outdone the prior achievement of Halo 2 fans who persisted in playing for 25 days beyond the shutdown deadline. Similarly, to the current Nintendo fans, the Halo enthusiasts discovered that they could extend their playtime as long as they remained active.
On April 8th, 2024, almost exactly 14 years post the termination of the original Xbox servers, Nintendo halted the Wii U and 3DS servers for players globally. This action followed a little over a year after Nintendo shut down the eShops for both platforms. Nevertheless, players possessing the Poke Transporter and Pokemon Bank can still utilize these services to transfer Pokemon between games onto the Switch through Pokemon Home.
In May 2010, players of Halo 2 achieved a remarkable feat by continuing to play on the servers for three and a half weeks past the shutdown date. Fourteen years later, Nintendo fans opted for a similar endeavor by extending their gameplay beyond the stipulated shutdown of the Wii U and 3DS servers. On May 3rd, a key figure, Gaffs, leading the charge for the online streak, shared a tweet announcing their record-breaking accomplishment. Gaffs mentioned that eight Nintendo players were still active at that time. Termed as 'The Crazy 8 of Nintendo Network', Amanda, Fishguy6564, Gearworks, SlitherySheep, Lcd101, Omoroid, Gorrah!!, and Eveh-roo-deh have persisted in their gameplay for nearly a month post the scheduled shutdown. The majority of players have been engrossed in Xenoblade Chronicles X, a game confined to the Wii U system.
Seven Players Maintain the Record
Despite their valiant efforts, Gorrah!! disconnected from Xenoblade Chronicles X on May 5th, reducing the Crazy 8 to seven players. As of now, the streak remains unbroken. It has been 28 days since the servers were meant to shut down, yet these fans persist in their gameplay. SlitherySheep has been solely playing Mario Maker after the community triumphed in conquering every level before its closure.
The commitment displayed by a community of gamers to celebrate their cherished games and characters is truly commendable, offering enduring support even after developers have moved on. Certain fans take it upon themselves to preserve content, like the SpotPass survival project that conserves Wii U and 3DS content following Nintendo's discontinuation of support. Meanwhile, the Nintendo community closely observes these seven remaining players as they continue to enjoy gaming post the Wii U and 3DS shutdown.