A New Nintendo Multiplayer Server System, At Last

This week Nintendo added a new multiplayer server system to their game universe. This is the first time Nintendo's had a new server in the past decade (or so). If you've played a multiplayer game on a Nintendo gaming console or portable gaming device in the past decade, you've likely used "NEX." Soon, Nintendo's games aplenty will be using NPLN.

This is good news for Nintendo gamers. Nintendo is readying a big multiplayer fix-up job with a transfer of games and a launching of games in the near future. The first game to test the new NPLN system was Monster Hunter Rise, in demo form.

The only bummer about this change-up is the Nintendo approach. It would appear that Nintendo won't just push masses of games over to the new server system all at once. It makes a lot of sense – it's better to have something that works than something that breaks immediately. It's unlikely Nintendo will deliver a very flashy, "suddenly things are better" sort of release.

As with most Nintendo hardware and software, the aim is an "it just works" sort of goal. As sources suggest with Nintendo Life, the transition won't be so much a fireworks show as it'll be a gradual and ideally undetectable set of moves.

The first game you'll see with this multiplayer system upgrade is Monster Hunter Rise. If you're looking to get a grasp of the potential of this new server system, get your hands on that game as soon as possible. Cross your fingers everything is going smoothly so we'll have better multiplayer support as quick as possible! If you're looking to grab this game in as spectacular a fashion as possible, take a peek at the timeline below for the newest Monster Hunter Nintendo Switch – it's wild!