By Dexerto | Created at 2026-08-12 14:41:06 | Updated at 2026-08-13 18:11:10
1 day ago
Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald could finally be making their way to modern Nintendo hardware, with a new rumor claiming ports of all three games are currently planned for release as soon as September 2026.
The claim came from gaming insider Shpeshal Nick, who said the trio of classic Pokemon games are currently targeting a late September or October release.
Pokemon Gen 3 ports reportedly planned for 2026
Nick shared the claim on X after going back through old messages containing information he’d previously been told he could make public.
“Currently, the ports of Pokemon Ruby/Emerald/Sapphire are planned for late September/October,” he said.
No further details were provided, including which platforms the ports are supposedly intended for or how they would be released.
Assuming the rumor is accurate, however, it’s likely they’d be ported to both the Switch and Switch 2 and made available digitally through the Nintendo eShop, similar to the ports of Fire Red and Leaf Green released earlier this year.
Originally released for the Game Boy Advance, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire kicked off the franchise’s third generation, introducing players to the Hoenn region. Pokemon Emerald came later, featuring additional content.
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have yet to announce any such releases, meaning the claim should be treated strictly as a rumor for now.
As Game Freak’s all-new Gen 10 Winds and Waves games aren’t arriving until 2027, a return visit to Hoenn would be a great way to fill the void until then.
