Nintendo has just announced that they will be shutting down support for their social network smartphone app, Miitomo.
Miitomo will be shut down on May, 9th, 2018. In preparation, Nintendo has preemptively removed the ability to purchase in-game currency, however, unused currency can be refunded through the in-app store.
At this point in time, Nintendo has not given an explicit reason for ending support for Miitomo. The news first broke via Nintendo’s Japanese Twitter account, included below. Nintendo has since released a full English statement detailing the shutdown of Miitomo.
[任天堂HP]スマートフォン向けアプリ『Miitomo』サービス終了のお知らせを掲載しました。https://t.co/m9pEZ15T1D
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) January 25, 2018
A detailed copy of the announcement can be read below:
About the app after the end of service
- If you launch the app after the end of service on 5/9, you’ll see a message informing you that service has ended. You will no longer be able to use any of the app’s features.
- You will no longer be able to see your answers or messages in the app.
- You will no longer be able to use items you’ve obtained in the app, such as clothing items, wallpapers, or posters.
- You can transfer your Mii™ character to your Nintendo Account by linking it to Miitomo. (Its personality and other information will not be carried over.)
- Sidekick Mii characters will be deleted. You can keep Sidekick Mii characters by saving them as a QR Code® before the end of service on 5/9/2018 12:00 AM (PDT). They can then be transferred to Mii Maker on the Nintendo 3DS™ family of systems or the Wii U™ console.
- You will not be able to view Miifotos, including Miifotos you have shared to your social media channels. If you want to save any Miifotos, you must save them to your smart device before 5/9/2018 12:00 AM (PDT).
- Miitomo- themed icons and clothing items used in your Nintendo Account or the Super Mario Run™ game will not display after the service has ended.
Those interested in finding out more information can do so by visiting the official Miitomo website.
Miitomo first launched in May of 2016 on Android an iOs. It received mixed critical and fan reception at launch. This “freemium” social networking app allowed users to interact with friends through a series of questions, allowing other players to visit each other. The game included in-app mini games, with cosmetic and in-game currency prizes that allowed users to customize their Mii. Currently, Miitomo has over 10 million downloads world wide. Although released with fanfare, Nintendo has been rather quiet since launch, with the last major press update having taken place in November of 2016.
