Highlights

  • Saying goodbye to 3DS online means losing many features in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, leaving fans nostalgic for their favorite activities.
  • Players are unable to visit other towns, engage in Club Tortimer activities, or access DLC after the end of 3DS online support.
  • Despite the limitations, many dedicated fans are commemorating the end of an era with heartfelt tributes and memories from their time in the game.

With the end of 3DS and Wii U online support, Animal Crossing fans are mourning their final moments of New Leaf connectivity. Many Animal Crossing fans have stayed active on New Leaf, but many features have been closed off due to the end of 3DS Online.

Since the 3DS was released, it has maintained a strong community of fans. The handheld console had a rocky launch due to a high price point and limited library, but it eventually accumulated over 75 million gamers. Before the massively successful launch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, New Leaf on the 3DS was the preferred installment in the series for many players. While New Horizons has been available for a few years, some Animal Crossing fans continue to play the 3DS game. With the 3DS online connectivity ending on April 8, some Animal Crossing fans have commemorated the occasion with some final tributes.

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Reddit users Agreeable_tortoise, Lavendermoontoast, SonicBoss_1991_, and Wave_design are among many Animal Crossing fans sharing their final moments on the 3DS. One Reddit user shared a heartfelt story about visiting a friend they met in the game one last time before the servers were taken offline, while another shared a meme of Villagers acting like the band on the Titanic. An image focuses on one player's last experience with Club Tortimer, and the final example is of a Villager trying to leave their town when they're met with an error message. The final screen verifying the demise of 3DS Online states that the software has been discontinued.

What Can't Animal Crossing: New Leaf Players Do Now?

  • Visit other towns through the Train Station
  • Visit Dream Addresses through Luna
  • Club Tortimer activities
  • Happy Home Showcases
  • Become Best Friends with other players
  • Access DLC

Although gamers can still experience the offline offerings of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, many aspects of the game are no longer playable. Club Tortimer is a key example, as there's no New Horizons Club Tortimer equivalent. Visiting other towns, a staple of Animal Crossing games, is also no longer possible. As players may no longer interact with each other, New Leaf is limited to NPCs for all interactions. Beyond these examples, many 3DS owners have shared their dedications to the handheld regardless of which game they took online.

While many fans got some final moments with Animal Crossing: New Leafbefore 3DS support concluded, some players may have never heard the warnings ahead of time. Because of this, they may have missed their final opportunity to visit their friends or earn some last-minute badges. With many gamers expecting Nintendo to release an Animal Crossing game on the Switch successor, some may wait until then to return to the franchise.