Nintendo has announced that they are shutting off their Wi-Fi Connection services for DS and Wii on May 20, 2014. This will affect gamers in all regions. In a statement on their website, Nintendo states that the disconnection will impact game features that use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service:

The discontinued services include online play, matchmaking and leaderboards for many Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi games.

What is left unaffected then?

Online play for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games will be unaffected (aside from the Wii mode on Wii U and Nintendo DS games on Nintendo 3DS family systems). Other online functionality, such as access to the Wii Shop Channel, the Nintendo DSi Shop and video-on-demand services, are also not affected at this time.

A full list of affected games has been provided. Obviously game functionality that does not require an Internet connection will remain unchanged.

Disappointing news for anyone using this service regularly, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

UPDATE

From statement Nintendo sent to Polygon

As of May 20, 2014, certain online functionality, including online play, matchmaking and leaderboards for many Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi games, will no longer be accessible. For a list of Nintendo games and services that are affected, please check http://www.nintendo.com. Users can still play these games in offline mode, which continues to offer a rich game-play experience. Other online functionality on Wii and Nintendo DS, such as access to the Wii Shop Channel, the Nintendo DSi Shop and video-on-demand services, are also not affected at this time.

Online play for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games will be unaffected (aside from the Wii mode on Wii U and Nintendo DS games played on Nintendo 3DS family systems). Our focus now shifts to readying our Wii U and Nintendo 3DS matchmaking services for upcoming games such as Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros.

We at Nintendo sincerely thank our fans for their continued support of our company’s legacy systems. Your enthusiasm for games made for these systems speaks to their longevity, and the passion of Nintendo fans.