Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Return With Local Trading Support

Nintendo confirmed on Feb 20, 2026, that Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version will release digitally on Nintendo Switch on Feb 27, 2026. The launch will follow the Pokémon Presents broadcast scheduled for 14:00 UTC. 

The titles will also be playable on Nintendo Switch 2 and arrive as part of the franchise’s 30th anniversary celebrations tied to Pokémon Day.

The titles are the 2004 Game Boy Advance remakes of the original 1996 Japanese releases. This return includes language support in English, French, and Spanish. Each version will be sold separately for $19.99 USD during launch week through My Nintendo Store and Nintendo eShop.

Pokémon FireRed’s Nintendo Switch Features and Compatibility Questions

Nintendo mentioned players can capture wild Pokémon and revisit the Game Boy Advance-era Kanto region, featuring the original 151 Pokémon.

The releases retain features introduced during the Game Boy Advance era. These include abilities, natures, weather conditions, held items, and selectable player character gender. 

Meanwhile, some familiar characters, such as Brock, Misty, Professor Oak, and Giovanni, return as part of the Kanto storyline. The games also incorporate the Sevii Islands content first introduced in Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen.

Local communication will allow trading and battling without the Game Link Cable required in 2004. Online features have not been detailed. Nintendo has also not confirmed whether the titles will support Pokémon Home. An initial Nintendo eShop listing referenced future Home support before the line was removed, leaving compatibility unresolved.

In the original releases, completing the National Dex required trading from other titles, as not all species were obtainable in Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen alone. Those titles are not currently available on Nintendo Switch in a compatible format. Whether that limitation applies remains unaddressed.

The re-release brings Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen to modern Nintendo Switch hardware. It gives returning players a path back to Kanto while introducing newer audiences to early-generation Pokémon on current systems.