Pokemon has been celebrating the classic titles throughout the year, fittingly for its 30th anniversary, beginning with Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen earlier this year (and continuing with a free Celebi for the game in the coming weeks too). Rumors suggest that this will only continue in either late September or October 2026 when Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald come to Switch too. Fans should not be concerned by the lack of an announcement, as Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen were only announced a little before release.
Of course, Pokemon fans have been asking for a few things ever since Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen launched on Switch. The aforementioned ports are the big thing, which is why it’s not surprising that they could be coming soon, as they are needed to complete the National Pokedex. At the same time, fans have been waiting patiently for the confirmed Pokemon Home Support to come.
Pokemon FR/LG Players Can Snag a Free Celebi in October
Now, Game Freak has confirmed that Pokemon Home Support for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen will launch in October 2026 (and it would not be surprising if RSE came alongside it). Once that’s live and players have completed the Kanto Pokedex for Pokemon FireRed or Pokemon LeafGreen, they’ll receive a free level 50 Celebi in the mobile version of Pokemon Home. The best part is how this will be automatic, as the Pokemon Home app will directly read progress when connected—no deposits required.
Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that this will accompany a general October update that raises Premium storage limits from 6,000 to 9,000 Pokemon, alongside other QoL updates.
New Questions Added!
GameRant Quiz
Overall, several fans are no doubt eager for this update to get a more specific update, as well as to see if Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald are truly launching alongside it. The good news is that there’s still plenty on the way for this year and next, although 2026 seems more focused on the “retro” right now and 2027 more focused on the “future,” since that’s when Pokemon Winds and Waves is set to release.
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Image via GameRant -
Image via The Pokemon Company -
Image via GameRant; Source: The Pokemon Company / Game Freak
Another good example of this Pokemon 30th Anniversary celebration approach is a major Pokemon art book collection coming in December 2026. It is focused on how Pokemon are designed, from Gen 1 to Gen 9, with multiple books being used, and it’ll be a pretty good endcap for anyone who happens to also play Pokemon FR/LG or R/S/E this year. Of course, every game discussed in this collection is worth checking out, but it’s hard not to feel nostalgic for classic Pokemon designs.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
Pokemon is not expected to make any major announcements later this year, or at the very least, it’s not expected to have any major dedicated events. A Nintendo Direct is happening soon, most likely and reportedly around September 10, so perhaps news will come there. Beyond that, though, it’s anyone’s guess as to the release date of this Pokemon Home support and R/S/E on Nintendo Switch.
- Released
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September 7, 2004
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Mild Fantasy Violence, Simulated Gambling
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
