We don’t cover a lot of China specific delisting news but the closure of the entire Nintendo Switch eShop for the country seems noteworthy. Nintendo posted the announcement yesterday and provided a timeline leading up to May 15th, 2026 when the eShop will be shut down entirely.
Starting on March 31st, 2026 all purchases on the eShop will be disabled and free trials of games will no longer be available. Then on May 15th the eShop will no longer allow digital code redemptions or downloads of any games or software. Most surprisingly, according to an additional support page Nintendo points out that game updates and DLC will also no longer be available from May 15th.
Nintendo advises players not to delete any downloaded data after May 15th and warns that purchasing physical titles with peripherals like Ring Fit Adventure and Mario Kart Live in the future may result in unplayable experiences. An additional support page outlines first and third-party games and features that may be impacted. If you’re living in the region, stock up on SD cards now and start downloading any past purchases, patches, and DLC.
For registered Switch owners, Nintendo is offering a selection of 13 titles “to thank all users for their continued support, […] in China“. Switch owners can pick up to 4 titles from this list between November 27th and March 31st, 2026:
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Super Mario Party
- Mario Tennis Aces
- Yoshi’s Crafted World
- Game Builder Garage
- Flexible Brain School
- Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Exercises
- Kirby Star Allies
- New Pokémon Snap
- Pokémon Go! Pikachu
- Pokémon Let’s Go! Eevee
Nintendo hasn’t stated a reason for this decision but as mentioned by Eurogamer who first broke this news, it could possibly be related to the Chinese government’s years-long crackdown on video game playtime and alleged addiction.