The best way to acquire a WUA file is to from a game you legally own. Here is the standard method using the Cemu emulator (version 1.27.1 or higher).
He dragged the file into his emulator. The loading bar surged, then stalled at 99%.
WUA files are not natively playable on a stock or even a modded Wii U. They are a proprietary compressed archive designed for the Cemu emulator. However, you can use tools like nuspacker to extract the contents of a WUA back into a Loadiine folder or WUP installation package, which can then be transferred to a real Wii U.
A (Wii U Archive) is a single, compressed file format specifically designed for Wii U emulation. Developed primarily for use with the Cemu emulator , it merges a base game, its updates, and all downloadable content (DLC) into one neat package. Why WUA Was Created
Front-ends like and RetroBat fully support WUA out of the box. You simply place your .wua files in the wiiu roms folder (e.g., Emulation/roms/wiiu/ ), and the launcher will automatically detect them. Because they require no keys, they launch instantly.
Typically, you would convert your files to WUP (installable) format, put them on an SD card, and install them to the Wii U’s internal memory or a USB drive. However, many people keep a "master library" in WUA format on their PC and only convert/install what they are currently playing on the console. A Quick Note on Safety and Legality
Games are stored in three folders ( code , content , meta ).
Cemu installed (Version 2.0 or newer is highly recommended).