Some players on switches reportedly received Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Early

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen they aren't set to release on Switch and Switch 2 until February 27th, but at least one user was able to pre-download them. Leakers have suggested the fan favorite GBA era Pokemon games would hit current Nintendo hardware before The Pokemon Company officially confirmed the ports, but it seems there are still some surprises in store. One lucky guy Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen fan got an unexpectedly early preview, though it was almost certainly unintentional.

A week before the official release date, Nintendo revealed that it was bringing it Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen switch consoles as a standalone digital download. While they're technically ports and not full remakes, they'll come with a few small updates, including local wireless co-op and, if you're playing the Switch 2 versions, GameChat support. If nothing else, it's a great chance for longtime fans to relive a beloved entry in the series without needing older hardware, and at least one person got to do that sooner than expected.

A screenshot of Pikachu and Ditto in front of the Pokemon FireRed LeafGreen mountain Poke Center

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen cost $20 a pop, but that hasn't stopped them from dominating the sales charts

Despite their price causing some pressure from fans, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are already dominating the eShop sales charts ahead of their release.

One Switch 2 user will get Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen download codes soon

On February 20, Twitter user FedeFade shared video proof that a Switch 2 user already has Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on their console. According to the post, the fan received the download codes for the games after pre-ordering them, a full week before the release date. Because Nintendo heals Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen as special cases on Switch, players must purchase them individually instead of playing them through Nintendo Switch Online. This lucky fan bought both through the My Nintendo Store, which sometimes sends download codes by email instead of using a direct download like the eShop, and reportedly received the codes just half an hour later.

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While the user got both games, he is likely to use them FireRed and LeafGreenOnly the exclusivity of different versions LeafGreen would start. The fact that they both received the codes earlier is likely a mistake on Nintendo's part, as FedeFade claimed that some friends tried to replicate this happy accident and still didn't get their download codes. FedeFade also claimed that Nintendo fixed the bug on February 21st by remotely removing the game from the user's console while it was connected to the internet.

This isn't the only recent example of a game being available earlier than it should be. Physical copies Resident Evil Requiem began appearing in the wild at least 10 days before this game's release date, drawing the ire of Capcom. However, while this sort of thing happens fairly often with physical releases, it's less common to see it with digital-only releases. It's also strange that this happened on the official My Nintendo Store and not through any third-party retailer. Still, eager fans shouldn't expect to succeed FireRed and LeafGreen soon in the same way, because Nintendo is fixing the bug so quickly that it may indicate that the company has taken steps to prevent it from happening again.

While most fans will have to wait a little longer for the new gameplay Pokemon ports, it won't be too long before they get their hands on them. FireRed and LeafGreen will be officially available for download after the big Pokemon Presents on February 27th. Since it is Pokemon30th anniversary this year, they could also look forward to several major innovations. All in all, there are like a Pokemon fan in 2026, although not everyone can play FireRed and LeafGreen a little earlier than expected.