Nintendo to shut down its first mobile game, Miitomo, in May

After about two years of being available to the world, Nintendo's first game, Miitomo, will be shut down May 9th, 2018. Nintendo announced the news on the Miitomo website.

What happens with Miitomo until May 9th?

If you've been playing the game, you may have noticed that you could no longer buy Miitomo coins, as Nintendo stopped selling them on January 24th.

Despite being the end for the game, Nintendo has promised to continue to give daily login bonuses for Miitomo coins and game tickets so that users can continue to play Miitomo Drop and use other features.

What happens after Miitomo is shut down

Once May 9th hits, the Miitomo app will essentially be useless, but there's a few other important details that Nintendo outline in its statement.

  • 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.

Why is Miitomo shutting down?

While no official reason was given for Miitomo's death, forced to speculate, I would have to say its most likely due to lackluster performance — especially when compared to Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem: Heroes, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.

I also think that Miitomo doesn't really fit Nintendo's mobile strategy anymore, as the company seems to prefer taking its main franchises that have been around for decades and making them into accessible mobile games. Heck, you could argue that Mii's are slowly becoming extinct since the Nintendo Switch has very little to do with Mii's. Of course, only Nintendo knows the true answer.

Are you a Miitomo fan?

What do you think about the news of Miitomo shutting down? Are you sad or indifferent? Let us know in the comments below.

Luke Filipowicz
Staff Writer

Luke Filipowicz has been a writer at iMore, covering Apple for nearly a decade now. He writes a lot about Apple Watch and iPad but covers the iPhone and Mac as well. He often describes himself as an "Apple user on a budget" and firmly believes that great technology can be affordable if you know where to look. Luke also heads up the iMore Show — a weekly podcast focusing on Apple news, rumors, and products but likes to have some fun along the way. 


Luke knows he spends more time on Twitter than he probably should, so feel free to follow him or give him a shout on social media @LukeFilipowicz.