Nintendo's next console still lacks some concrete details, but there's one piece of news that seems like a sign of things to come.

Tencent Nintendo Switch has announced that online services for the Switch will come to an end in China in 2026.

According to a recent announcement, Nintendo will be slowly phasing out its online portal and gaming services out of China by March 31, 2026. After this point, there will be no free trials. Eventually, all software that includes paid or free titles will be unavailable to purchase or claim.

Nintendo Switch eShop in China closing on March 31, 2026: no new game purchases after that date. Nintendo partnered with Tencent for China release due to region locks and approval of games in the market. Digital games trend increasing globally: potential for future worldwide eShop shutdown.

Good Nintendo Switch deals are pretty hard to come by. For some reason, Nintendo just generally doesn't like to list their consoles, games, or accessories at steep discounts, even during big sales events.

Nintendo Switch Online has been a hard sell to Switch owners who don’t play online games. This is doubly true for the relatively pricey Expansion Pack, which had paltry offering