The Pokémon Company Shuts Down Pokémon Bank in 2027

The Pokémon Company announced that Pokémon Bank, the storage and transfer service for the Nintendo 3DS, will shut down on February 26, 2027. After this deadline, players will no longer be able to store Pokémon in the app or transfer them to the successor service, Pokémon HOME. The company warned that transfers to HOME are one-way and cannot be reversed.

To support the transition, an October 2026 update to Pokémon HOME will increase the storage capacity for Premium Plan subscribers from 6,000 to 9,000 Pokémon at no additional cost. The update will also introduce connectivity for Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, which were ported to the Nintendo Switch in early 2026. This allows players to move Pokémon from those titles to other compatible games, including Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Pokémon Champions, and Scarlet/Violet.

As part of the integration, players who complete the Pokédex in FireRed or LeafGreen can claim a Mythical Celebi in the mobile version of Pokémon HOME. The update further enables the transfer of Pokémon caught in Safari Balls from Pokémon GO to Pokémon HOME, where they will be registered as Strange Balls. The announcement has drawn frustration from fans regarding the loss of digital preservation services.