Nintendo surprised fans this week by releasing an update for the Wii U console, a system that was first released back in 2012. Even though the update came as a fix for some of the console's known glitches, dataminers have uncovered a text inside the version 5.5.2 update that suggests the end for Wii's unique social networking service, Miiverse.
According to Nintendo's website, with this update, "Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience." However, dataminer Shiny Quagsire recently tweeted a very telling text found in the update.
"The Miiverse service has ended," the discovered text said, according to the tweet. "Miiverse and any software features that make use of Miiverse are now unavailable," it added.
This is mere speculation for now, and no official word has been announced by the manufacturer. While the patch suggests that there is a plan to end the service in the near future, Miiverse is still accessible and fully functional. When asked to comment, a representative of Nintendo told Polygon that the company has "nothing to announce on this topic."
However, shutting down the service might not come as a complete surprise. Prior to this one, the last update received by Wii U was over a year ago, due to Nintendo's focus being on the new Switch console, which does not support Miiverse. Launched in March, Switch replaces the Wii as the new flagship home console of the video game giant. The company has also stopped manufacturing the Wii since January 2017.
Miiverse is a social networking platform utilized by Nintendo's Wii U and 3DS consoles. First launched in 2012, it is loved by many fans because of its uniqueness and the multitude of hilarious illustrations and commentary shared by the console users.
Even though there is no word yet on how long Nintendo will keep the service running, posts of users saying goodbye to Miiverse has begun populating the social platform itself.
