Nintendo Switch's online services are shutting down in China in May 2026, with affected players getting four free games as compensation.

Nintendo will shut down the Switch eShop and all other online services in China by 2026. An official announcement from Tencent, which handles Nintendo's sales in China, gives a timeframe of March 31st, 2026, to May 15th, 2016. After this period, Nintendo Switch owners in China cannot download any games, DLC, or redeem codes.

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.