Pokemon Fire Red and LeafGreen coming to Switch as $19.99 digital releases
The company announced that Pokemon Fire Red and its partner title LeafGreen, the 2004 Game Boy Advance remakes, will return as digital releases for current console hardware on Feb. 27, becoming available after a planned Pokémon Presents stream at 9: 00 am ET. The releases will be sold as standalone purchases rather than added to the platform's subscription GBA collection, with a suggested retail price of $19. 99 (USD) and local wireless multiplayer supported.
Pokemon Fire Red: release timing and pricing
The re-releases are scheduled to appear immediately following the February 27 presentation at 9: 00 am ET. Official materials list a suggested retail price of $19. 99 (USD) and note digital availability in multiple languages. Coverage of the announcement also characterized the titles as standalone purchases priced at roughly $20 apiece rather than being included in the existing console subscription's Game Boy Advance catalog. The publisher's materials further state that select retailers will carry the games during launch week.
Ports look mostly unmodified; local play only
Early coverage describes the Switch-era versions as mostly unmodified ports of the 2004 remakes. The restored GBA editions retain the era's gameplay updates—such as abilities, natures, weather effects, held items and the option to choose a player character's gender—and the ports will support local wireless multiplayer rather than online multiplayer. An initial announcement included a note that connectivity with the franchise's creature repository service would arrive “soon, ” but that line has since been removed; the presence or timing of repository support is unclear at this time.
Player impact and next steps
For players, the key observable details are the Feb. 27 availability at 9: 00 am ET, the $19. 99 suggested price, digital-language restrictions and local-only multiplayer. The company notes that language versions are sold separately with no in-game option to change language, so buyers should verify the language before purchase. Historically, the GBA remakes supported a dedicated wireless accessory and featured Union Room multiplayer that could host many players in one area; the modern releases emulate wireless interaction locally without recreating the original accessory model.
Forward look: the deletion of the repository-service note leaves one clear conditional path. If repository support is restored later, players could gain a way to move captured creatures into newer titles; if it remains absent, those cross-game transfers will not be immediately available. The standalone pricing and digital availability mean players without a subscription to the console's legacy-game collection will still be able to buy and play the titles at launch.
Key takeaways:
- Release set for Feb. 27, available after a 9: 00 am ET presentation.
- Recommended retail price: $19. 99 (USD); standalone digital purchases.
- Mostly unmodified ports of the 2004 remakes with local wireless but no online multiplayer; repository support currently unclear.
