Nintendo Switch eShop and online services are ending in China in 2026
China’s Nintendo eShop is closing down for good in 18 months
The Nintendo Switch eShop and all other network services are being closed down in China in 2026.
On March 31, 2026, the Chinese Nintendo eShop will stop selling games and any other software. After this date, all software, including paid and free titles, will no longer be available to purchase or claim. On May 15, 2026, players will no longer be able to download titles or redeem codes. DLC will also become unavailable at this time.
In China, the Nintendo Switch is sold in collaboration with Tencent, the Chinese tech giant that owns dozens of developers and other tech firms.
When the Nintendo Switch was first launched in China in 2020, it released with just one first-party game, Super Smash Bros Ultimate. In the years since its release, older Nintendo Switch titles have been localized for the Chinese market.
From November 27 2024 until March 31, 2026, players who own a Chinese Nintendo Switch that has an active WeChat account associated it will receive up to 4 Nintendo Switch games for free. The games that players can choose from are:
- 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
- Pokémon Let’s Go! Eevee
Players can only redeem the free games once per WeChat account that is tied to a user. If a user has multiple Nintendo Switch consoles, they will need multiple active WeChat accounts to receive the free games.
