Nintendo quietly removed Pokémon HOME from the FireRed/LeafGreen listings — and that matters

Why this matters right now

Nintendo scrubbed references to Pokémon HOME from the eShop listings for the paid Switch ports of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen after those pages briefly hinted at compatibility – and it did that while preloads and preorder icons were live and the titles were climbing the eShop charts. On paper this is a tidy re-release of the 2004 GBA remakes, priced at £16.99 / $19.99 and shipping without graphical upgrades or online trading; in practice, the missing HOME promise changes how completionists, collectors and anyone hoping to consolidate their libraries will plan their purchases.

Key takeaways

• Mentions of Pokémon HOME were removed from eShop and official pages after initial listings suggested compatibility – multiple outlets now report no HOME support.
• The paid ports are straightforward GBA remasters: original visuals, local wireless trades/battles, GameChat support, no online trading or National Dex integration.
• Preloads and preorder icons went live ahead of the 27 Feb launch, and the games are topping regional eShop interest despite the controversy.
• Without HOME, completing a full Pokédex requires buying both versions and relying on local trades or older hardware – a real constraint for modern players.

Nintendo quietly walked back HOME — and that changes the math

Initial eShop blurbs and early coverage left room for the sensible expectation that these paid Switch ports would connect to Pokémon HOME. IGN and a few outlets noted that possibility early; Siliconera and others have since been explicit that HOME support is absent. Nintendo’s own US pages now list the titles without any HOME references, and third-party trackers observed eShop mentions being edited out between Feb 20-23. That sequence — list it, then quietly remove it — is the uncomfortable PR move here.

Why does that matter? FireRed and LeafGreen preserve the original version-exclusives and the Sevii Islands content from the GBA remakes. If you can’t move Pokémon into HOME, modern conveniences vanish. To complete the full Pokédex you either buy both versions and trade locally, or dig out a GBA-era cartridge/console and hope legacy transfer chains still work. For collectors and completionists, that’s an actual barrier, not a talking point.

You’re paying $20 for a GBA-era port — what are you actually buying?

Nintendo Life’s preview gallery and preload notices make the product clear: these are faithful ports of the 2004 Game Boy Advance remakes, with the same pixel art, turn-based combat and version-exclusive rosters. The official sites confirm digital-only releases, with language SKUs in English, French and Spanish in some regions. There’s GameChat and local wireless preserved — but no online trading, no graphical overhaul, and no mention of HOME.

That pricing — £16.99 / $19.99 — is reasonable for what it is, but it clashes with players’ expectations shaped by recent Nintendo releases and the existence of Pokémon HOME itself. Many fans had assumed modern ports would at least let you move favorites into the broader Pokémon ecosystem. Instead, you’re effectively buying a slice of 2004 that runs on modern hardware, and the only online touch is voice via GameChat.

The uncomfortable observation

Removing HOME from listings after publication suggests two possibilities: Nintendo never locked in HOME support and avoided making a promise it couldn’t keep, or it planned support and pulled the wording to avoid a pre-launch commitment. Either scenario is PR-inelegant. The question I would ask Nintendo or The Pokémon Company on Feb 27 is simple: was HOME compatibility ever intended and, if not, why not? The community deserves a straight answer about transferability before people spend money planning completion strategies.

What to watch next

• Feb 27 — Pokémon Presents stream: this is the clearest moment Nintendo could clarify HOME compatibility or announce a patch.
• Launch-day user reports and reviews (27 Feb onward): confirm whether any transfer paths exist and if local wireless works as advertised.
• Official statements from Nintendo/ILCA or The Pokémon Company if backlash grows — a post-launch patch to add HOME would be the obvious pressure valve.
• eShop charts and sales figures after release: preloads indicate demand, but actual sales will show whether buyers accept the limitations.

TL;DR

Nintendo removed mentions of Pokémon HOME from the FireRed and LeafGreen eShop pages after early listings suggested compatibility, leaving the paid Switch ports as faithful but limited GBA-era releases priced at $19.99. That omission matters for completionists because without HOME you must rely on local trading or own both versions to fill your Pokédex. Watch the Pokémon Presents stream on Feb 27 and launch-day reports — a clear official answer or a post-launch patch is the only thing that changes this story.