Pokémon HOME has a fresh route for the Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen. Does that mean your old DS partners will have a way in after Bank closes?
Short answer: No replacement route has been officially announced as of October 13, 2026. A GBA-looking button in HOME is not a promise that Pokémon from original DS and 3DS games can bypass Pokémon Bank.
Why the excitement?
On October 10, fans on Reddit wondered whether HOME's new Game Boy Advance-style entry might hint at a future use for the DS-shaped transfer option. It's an appealing theory. Nobody wants a Pokémon they raised years ago to be stranded simply because two apps stopped talking.
But the important distinction is which games the new connection serves. The newly supported FireRed and LeafGreen are the Nintendo Switch releases. They do not establish a direct route from an original GBA cartridge, a DS game, or a 3DS save. A menu icon is a clue to speculate about, not a migration plan.
The deadline you can actually rely on
Nintendo states that Pokémon Bank ends on February 25, 2027, at 7 p.m. Pacific Standard Time—February 26 at noon in Japan. Transfers from Bank to Pokémon HOME end with it. Bank is also no longer available as a new download.
This does not mean an old Pokémon game automatically wipes its local save that day. The risk is losing the officially documented bridge into HOME. Nintendo specifically advises moving Pokémon already stored in Bank before shutdown.
What should a longtime trainer do?
If your team is still in Bank, check your access and move the Pokémon you want to keep in HOME while the service works. If they're in older games, check your existing hardware and software first rather than assuming a new shortcut will appear.
Bottom line: The new GBA route is good news for the Switch re-releases, not proof of a rescue path for DS-era Pokémon. Hope for another bridge if you like; don't schedule your precious transfer around an icon.
Sources (checked October 13, 2026):
- Nintendo support: https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/61543/~/pok%C3%A9mon-bank-end-of-service
- Pokémon official news: https://www.pokemon.com/us/news/pokemon-firered-version-and-pokemon-leafgreen-version-link-with-pokemon-home-this-october
- Fan discussion, October 10: https://www.reddit.com/r/PokemonHome/comments/1x2seok/speculating_about_the_end_of_bank/
