Kanto fans can rejoice: Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have officially confirmed that the Nintendo Switch re-releases of Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen will receive direct connectivity to Pokémon HOME starting October 2026. The confirmation came via the official announcement on pokemon.com, making it clear: both classics will finally become part of the large transfer ecosystem surrounding the current Pokémon generation.
When is the Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Update Coming?
According to the official announcement, the link to Pokémon HOME is set to go live in October 2026. The Pokémon Company has not yet specified an exact date, but the month has been clearly stated. So, anyone who has been waiting for years with a well-stocked Kanto team should mark this period on their calendar. The Pokémon Company states it will provide further updates on this via the official Pokémon website.
Which Pokémon Can Be Transferred in the Future?
With this connectivity, players will be able to send their Pokémon caught and trained in FireRed and LeafGreen from the game to Pokémon HOME. From there, they can then be transferred to compatible current games, as long as those titles are also connected to HOME. For collectors, this means: rare or uniquely characterized Kanto Pokémon from the Switch re-releases no longer have to gather dust in isolated old save files; instead, they can move into the central depot.
Speaking of Kanto nostalgia: Anyone who remembers the story surrounding Ash Ketchum's Primeape knows how much the first generation still resonates today. A lot is happening in Pokémon even beyond the handheld classics – just recently, for example, the automatic ball throw in Pokémon GO sparked discussions within the community.
Context: Since 2020, Pokémon HOME has been the central hub where Trainers can move their monsters between various games – from Sword and Shield to Scarlet and Violet and the more recent remakes. The integration of FireRed and LeafGreen now closes a gap that many fans had lamented since the release of the Switch versions. This is particularly relevant for competitive players, as it will allow specific Kanto-exclusive catches or special stat combinations to be officially introduced into current competitive formats for the first time, without relying on unofficial workarounds. Collectors, in turn, will have the opportunity to consolidate their entire Kanto Dex history in one place, rather than leaving it scattered across multiple save files.
By the way: In the same IGN report, a completely different speculation is also making the rounds. Insider Shpeshal Nick and dataminer luigiblood claim to have found internal compatibility hooks for Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald in the program files of FireRed and LeafGreen – which could indicate a possible further Switch release in September or October 2026. However, nothing has been officially confirmed yet, and it remains pure speculation.
Source: IGN
Will you be dusting off your old Kanto teams for the HOME transfer, or would you prefer to wait for more information on the exact date? Let us know in the comments!
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