Pokémon Bank’s 3DS Era Will End on February 26, 2027
The shutdown will cut off Pokémon Bank's connection to Pokémon Home, while an October update will leave five Pokémon without a clear current-console route.
Pokémon Bank will shut down on Friday, February 26, 2027. The cloud storage service has been part of the franchise since its worldwide launch on Nintendo 3DS in 2014, but players now have a limited amount of time to move Pokémon before access ends.
The Pokémon Company posted the notice on its Japanese website. Pokémon Bank allowed players to store up to 3,000 Pokémon, including creatures brought forward from some of the franchise’s older games.
Pokémon Bank access will end in February 2027
After February 26, players will no longer be able to connect to Pokémon Bank, and its connection with Pokémon Home will be severed. Pokémon Home succeeded the 3DS application and is available on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, giving players a newer way to manage Pokémon from different parts of the series.
The shutdown could create a headache for collectors working toward a Living Dex. There are currently 1,025 Pokémon, but 1,018 can be uploaded to Pokémon HOME through the current Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games. The seven outside that route are Spinda, Deoxys, Celebi, Victini, Zarude, Iron Leaves, and Walking Wake. Some remain obtainable through Pokémon GO or limited-time events. Once Pokémon Bank access ends, players will have fewer options for moving Pokémon from older games into the newer ecosystem.
The October update will add Deoxys support and a free Celebi
An official Pokémon announcement says that Pokémon HOME will support the eShop versions of Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen in October. Deoxys is catchable in those versions, giving players a way to transfer it into HOME.
Players who completely fill the FireRed and LeafGreen Pokédex will also receive a free Celebi. Together, those additions will bring the reachable total to 1,020, leaving five Pokémon without a clear path through the current console games.
Five Pokémon will still need another route
- Zarude debuted in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield and has been distributed through online events roughly once a year.
- Walking Wake and Iron Leaves have appeared through events in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.
- Victini originated in Pokémon Black and Pokémon White and has only been available through event distributions in the mainline games. Those distributions have not appeared since 2022. It can still be caught in Pokémon GO and transferred to Pokémon HOME, but that does not help players who want a collection made entirely through the mainline RPGs.
- Spinda can be caught in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, but its unusual spot-pattern system uses billions of possible values. It is also the only Pokémon from those remakes that cannot be uploaded to Pokémon HOME.
Zarude, Walking Wake, and Iron Leaves could return through future events, while Victini has a route through Pokémon GO. Spinda is catchable on Switch but cannot make the trip into HOME, leaving collectors focused on the mainline games without a complete collection route for all five.
The shutdown date falls just before Pokémon Day
The timing adds another layer to the announcement. Pokémon Bank will close one day before Pokémon Day, which falls on Saturday, February 27, 2027. The annual celebration often brings new information from The Pokémon Company, so some fans are wondering whether a Pokémon Presents showcase could take place on February 26.
No showcase or related announcement was confirmed alongside the Pokémon Bank shutdown notice. For now, the clear deadline is February 26, 2027, and collectors with Pokémon still stored in the service will need to plan around it.
Will you move your Pokémon before the deadline, or has the shutdown changed how you manage your collection? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
