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Pokémon Bank Service Ends February 2027

The closure cuts off the last transfer path for Pokémon from generations 3 through 7, making the February 2027 deadline the final chance to preserve older Pokémon in the current ecosystem.

Key Facts

  • Pokémon Bank service ends on February 26, 2027, at noon Japan time.
  • The transfer function from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME closes on the same date.
  • Pokémon from generations 3 through 7 will no longer be transferable to Pokémon HOME after the shutdown.
  • Pokémon FireRed Version and LeafGreen Version on Switch gain Pokémon HOME compatibility in October 2026.
  • The Pokémon HOME Premium Plan deposit cap increases from 6,000 to 9,000 Pokémon.

Reporting from 5 sources: Anime News Network, GAME Watch (Impress), GameBusiness.jp, Game Spark, and 1 more.

Pokémon Bank Service Ends February 2027

The Pokémon Company announced on August 13 that the Pokémon Bank app for Nintendo 3DS will end service on February 26, 2027, at noon Japan time. The transfer function from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME will also close at that time. Players who want to keep Pokémon stored in Pokémon Bank must move them to Pokémon HOME before the shutdown. After the service ends, Pokémon from generations 3 through 7, including titles like Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire and Pokémon Sun/Moon, will no longer be transferable to Pokémon HOME or Nintendo Switch games. The company also revealed that the Nintendo Switch versions of Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version will gain Pokémon HOME compatibility in October, allowing transfers from those games to the storage service, though Pokémon cannot be sent back. Players who complete the Pokédex in either game will receive the mythical Pokémon Celebi upon linking to Pokémon HOME. The paid Premium Plan will be updated to allow depositing up to 9,000 Pokémon, up from the previous cap of 6,000, with no change in subscription price. Pokémon Bank launched in Japan in December 2013 and in North America and Europe in February 2014.

Pokémon Bank launched in Japan in December 2013 but was pulled from the eShop days later when high traffic strained Nintendo's servers and affected the 3DS and Wii U platforms. It relaunched in Japan in January 2014, and the North American release was delayed because of those network issues before arriving in February 2014.

The service stores up to 3,000 Pokémon in 100 boxes and carries an annual fee of US$4.99. It accepts Pokémon from Black/White, Black 2/White 2, X/Y, Sun/Moon, and Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon over the Internet, and includes search functions that let players move many Pokémon at once without a second game system. The companion Poké Transporter app brings Pokémon from older titles into Bank.

Players cannot withdraw Pokémon from HOME back into Bank, and Poké Miles points cannot be carried over to HOME either. The 3DS eShop closed in March 2023, which already stopped new downloads and ticket sales for Bank; the service has been free since then for users who downloaded it beforehand.

HOME launched in February 2020 and accepts Pokémon from GO, Let's Go, Pikachu!/Eevee!, Sword/Shield, Scarlet/Violet, Legends: Arceus, and Legends: Z-A. Its battle-focused companion Pokémon Champions debuted on Switch on April 8 and on iOS and Android on June 17. FireRed and LeafGreen originally released for Game Boy Advance in January 2004 and are remakes of the 1996 Game Boy titles Red and Green.

Synthesized by Yomimono from the 5 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.

Pokémon Bank Pokémon HOME

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