Summary

  • Nintendo removes first game from Switch Online, setting a worrying precedent for other third-party titles.
  • Super Soccer being taken off the service hints at potential issues with third-party game availability in the future.
  • Subscribers of Switch Online must be wary, as there is a possibility of more games disappearing without prior notice.

Nintendo has announced for the first time that a game is being removed from the Switch Online service, setting a terrible precedent going into the Switch 2’s era.


Nintendo Switch Online is needed for online play, but it offers players retro games as a bonus for signing up. These mostly consist of first-party Nintendo titles, spread across the NES, Game Boy, and SNES. There is also a more expensive tier for N64, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive titles.

Related

Wario Land 4 arrives on Nintendo Switch Online Next Week

Next Week, Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Subscribers will be able to play 2001’s Wario Land 4 for the Game Boy Advance (GBA)

The service has been adding games gradually for years, but a reversal is now happening. A post on the official Nintendo Support Twitter/X page has announced that Super Soccer (known as Super Famicom Soccer in Japan) is being taken off the service on March 28, 2025.


Nintendo Has Taken Its First Game Off Switch Online

Nintendo Switch Online screenshot

What’s curious about the removal of Super Soccer is that it will be a total deletion from the service. Not only can it not be downloaded anymore, but it will no longer work for those who have.

The reason for its removal is obvious: it’s a third-party game owned by Spike Chunsoft. As such, Nintendo likely only made a temporary deal to put it on Switch Online and the two companies couldn’t come to terms on keeping it around.


This sets a bad precedent going into the Switch 2 era, especially as Nintendo Switch Online seems to be sticking around. This means that any game in the library could vanish at any time.

Mister Fantastic Marvel Rivals gameplay

Related

NetEase “Open” To Marvel Rivals Potentially Releasing On Nintendo Switch 2

Marvel Rivals devs already have dev kits of the Nintendo Switch 2, which bodes well for the game appearing on the console.

The first-party Nintendo games will likely stick around, but the future prospects of the third-party games are currently looking shaky. Switch Online has games from Capcom, SNK, and Rare, all of which could go without warning.

And what of the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games? Could they also just stop being playable one day? That’ll be even rougher, considering it’s part of the more expensive tier.

Hopefully, Nintendo won’t dilute the service too much, but those looking to spend on annual subscriptions because of the retro games might want to take the departure of Super Soccer as a warning for the future.

distant_bloom_console

Next

Distant Bloom to Make Its Way Onto PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch Soon

After being out on PC for nearly a year, Distant Bloom is now officially making its way to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and the Nintendo Switch.