Some Switch Gamers Have Reportedly Gotten Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Early

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen aren’t set to come out on Switch and Switch 2 until February 27, but at least one user was able to download them ahead of time. Leakers had suggested the fan-favorite GBA-era Pokemon games would make their way to Nintendo’s current hardware before The Pokemon Company officially confirmed the ports, but it seems there were still some surprises in store. One lucky Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen fan got an unexpectedly early preview, though it was almost certainly unintentional.

One week before the official release date, Nintendo revealed it was bringing Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen to Switch consoles as standalone digital downloads. While these are technically ports, not full remakes, they will come with some small updates, including local wireless co-op and, if playing the Switch 2 versions, GameChat support. If nothing else, it’s a great chance for longtime fans to relive a beloved entry in the series without needing older hardware, and at least one person got to do so earlier than expected.

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are $20 a Pop, But That Hasn’t Stopped Them From Dominating the Sales Charts

Despite their price causing some pushback from the fandom, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are already dominating eShop sales charts ahead of release.

One Switch 2 User Gets Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Download Codes Early

On February 20, Twitter user FedeFade shared video evidence of a Switch 2 user already having Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on their console. According to the post, the fan received download codes for the games after pre-ordering them, a whole week ahead of their release date. Because Nintendo is treating Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen as special cases on the Switch, players must purchase them individually instead of getting to play them through Nintendo Switch Online. This lucky fan bought both through My Nintendo Store, which sometimes emails download codes instead of using direct downloads like the eShop, and reportedly got the codes just half an hour later.

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While the user got both games, presumably to take advantage of FireRed and LeafGreen‘s different version exclusives, only LeafGreen would start up. The fact that they received either code as early as they did is likely an error on Nintendo’s side, as FedeFade claimed some friends had tried to replicate this happy accident and still have not gotten their download codes. FedeFade also claimed Nintendo corrected the mistake as of February 21 by remotely removing the game from the user’s console while it was connected to the internet.

This isn’t the only recent example of a game becoming available earlier than it should have. Physical copies of Resident Evil Requiem began popping up in the wild at least 10 days ahead of that game’s release date, drawing the ire of Capcom. However, while this sort of thing happens fairly often with physical versions, it’s less common to see it with a digital-only release. It’s also strange that this happened on the official My Nintendo Store, not through any third-party retailer. Still, eager fans shouldn’t expect to be able to get FireRed and LeafGreen early the same way, as Nintendo correcting the error so quickly may suggest the company has taken steps to prevent it from happening again.

While most fans will need to wait a little while longer to play the new Pokemon ports, it won’t be too long before they can get their hands on them. FireRed and LeafGreen will be officially available for download after the big Pokemon Presents on February 27 concludes. Given that it’s Pokemon‘s 30th anniversary this year, there could be some major news to look forward to as well. All in all, there is a lot to be excited about as a Pokemon fan in 2026, even if not everyone can play FireRed and LeafGreen a bit earlier than expected.