Nintendo made a surprising announcement this morning, revealing that the eShop for Switch will permanently close in a specific country. As a result, players in the region will no longer be able to purchase digital titles or additional content for the hybrid console. They also won’t be able to download games or redeem codes for new content.
The reasons behind this decision remain a mystery, as Nintendo has not disclosed why it is shutting down the store for its successful console. Furthermore, the company has not explained what will happen to its products and services in the affected region.
The Nintendo Switch eShop Has Its Days Numbered in China
Through a statement, Nintendo announced that the Switch eShop will close in China in a few years. This will happen on March 31, 2026, the day when they will stop distributing games, demos, DLC, and other content through the digital platform.
Subsequently, on May 15, 2026, Chinese players will no longer be able to download content or use codes to obtain DLC. Additionally, the company confirmed that all other services associated with its store will cease operations in China on that day.
Nintendo knows this is bad news for players in the region, so it decided to compensate them with several free games. Chinese Switch users will be able to obtain up to 4 free games from an attractive list of exclusives.
The promotion will be available from November 27, 2024, to March 31, 2026. Below is the list of games that are part of Nintendo’s rewards program for China:
- 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 Let’s Go! Pikachu
- Pokémon Let’s Go! Eevee
Why Will the Switch eShop Close in China?
As mentioned, Nintendo did not explain why it will terminate the eShop service in China. The community speculates that it is due to government restrictions regarding video games and entertainment in general, as there are several regulations that hinder the release of titles and consoles.
The Switch debuted in 2017; however, it did not arrive in China until 2020, thanks to an alliance with Tencent. During its launch, players in the region could only play Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Over time, other company titles were localized.
We will have to wait for Nintendo to share more information on this matter to clarify the situation, especially since Switch 2 is on its way and now its launch in China is in doubt.
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