Hoenn fans have been living in a constant state of “wait, is this actually happening?” for the past few months, and honestly, it’s hard to blame them. Between official footage, merchandise announcements, and insider leaks, there’s a lot swirling around Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald heading into 2027. But before you go searching for pre-order listings, here’s a clear breakdown of what’s real, what’s rumored, and what’s still very much unconfirmed.
Key Takeaways
- Bandai Namco is re-releasing Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza figures as part of the Pokémon Scale World collection in May 2027
- The figures originally released in 2021 and are now getting a second run — this is the only confirmed 2027 announcement so far
- No official announcement has confirmed Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald for Nintendo Switch or Switch 2
- The official Japanese Pokémon social media account posted unusually crisp footage from Ruby/Sapphire in September 2026, fuelling speculation
- Insider Shpeshal Nick claimed Gen 3 ports were planned for late September/October 2026 — that window passed without a release
- Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen returned to modern Nintendo hardware in 2026, setting a precedent fans are now pointing to
- Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves are the confirmed new 2027 games for Nintendo Switch 2 — any Gen 3 return would be separate
- Rumored emulator data referencing Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald ROMs has surfaced but is not an official confirmation
So What Is Actually Confirmed for 2027?
Let’s start with the one thing nobody can argue about. Bandai Namco is bringing back figures of Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza as part of its Pokémon Scale World collection, with a scheduled release of May 2027. These figures originally came out in 2021 and are now getting a re-release, giving collectors who missed them the first time around a proper second shot.
That’s it. That’s the confirmed news. Everything else — the Switch ports, the emulator data, the insider leaks — is speculation layered on top of speculation, even if some of it is pretty compelling speculation.
Who Are Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza?
If you somehow missed Generation 3 entirely, here’s the quick version. These three Legendary Pokémon are the backbone of the Hoenn region’s entire mythology and are collectively known as the Weather Trio or Super-ancient Pokémon.
Groudon — The Continent Pokémon
Groudon is the mascot of Pokémon Ruby and is tied to land and intense sunlight. In Ruby, Team Magma’s entire plan revolves around awakening Groudon to expand the world’s landmass. It’s one of the more memorable villain plots in the series precisely because it has actual environmental stakes built into it.
Kyogre — The Sea Basin Pokémon
Kyogre is the mascot of Pokémon Sapphire and represents the ocean and rainfall. Team Aqua pursues Kyogre with the goal of expanding the world’s oceans, making it the direct narrative counterpart to what’s happening over in Ruby.
Rayquaza — The Sky High Pokémon
Rayquaza sits in the atmosphere above Hoenn and is the mascot of Pokémon Emerald. In Emerald specifically, Rayquaza’s role is dramatically expanded — it becomes the force that descends to stop the conflict between Groudon and Kyogre, giving it a central narrative function rather than just being the third box legend you catch after the credits roll.
Why Fans Are Convinced a Switch Port Is Coming
Here’s where things get genuinely interesting. The merchandise announcement didn’t land in a vacuum — it arrived right as Hoenn was already getting a lot of attention.
The Official Japanese Footage
In September 2026, the official Japanese Pokémon social media account posted a roughly 30-second clip featuring a scene from Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire involving Mr. Briney and his Wingull, Peeko. The clip looked noticeably crisp — sharper than you’d expect from straight Game Boy Advance footage — and came with no accompanying announcement, no release date, no Switch logo, nothing. Just the clip.
That’s the kind of thing that sends the Pokémon community into overdrive, and understandably so. Official accounts posting high-quality footage from a 20-year-old game, with no explanation attached, doesn’t exactly scream “this means nothing.”
The Shpeshal Nick Leak
Before that footage even dropped, insider Shpeshal Nick claimed back in August 2026 that Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald ports were planned for late September or October 2026. That window has now passed without a release, which either means the rumor was wrong, the release was delayed, or it was never happening to begin with. None of those possibilities has been confirmed either way.
The FireRed and LeafGreen Precedent
Earlier in 2026, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen came back to modern Nintendo hardware, which was a big deal because it showed The Pokémon Company and Nintendo were actively willing to bring classic GBA Pokémon titles to Switch. Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald are the obvious next step in that logic, and plenty of fans have made exactly that argument.
The Alleged Emulator Data
Some fans have also pointed to alleged emulator data tied to the Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen that supposedly references Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald ROMs. It’s the kind of thing that sounds significant until you remember that datamined references in an emulator don’t constitute an announcement, and Pokémon Support has been clear that upcoming title information is posted to Pokémon.com when it becomes official.
What’s the Difference Between All This and the New 2027 Games?
This is worth separating out clearly because it’s easy to blur together. Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves are the officially confirmed new Pokémon games for 2027, coming simultaneously worldwide to Nintendo Switch 2. They’re set in a brand-new island and ocean-themed region, with a new open-world structure and new Pokémon.
Any potential return of Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald would be a completely separate release — ports or remasters of existing games rather than a new generation entry. The two things aren’t connected, and a Gen 3 port wouldn’t replace or delay Winds and Waves.
Similar multi-game release strategies aren’t unique to Pokémon either. The broader games industry has been leaning hard into anniversary releases and legacy content — you can see that same energy behind things like the Minecraft Ice Caves Game Drop adding entirely new biome content, or physical collectible releases like the LEGO Astro Bot Gift with Purchase PlayStation Set banking on nostalgia and collector interest at the same time.
Confirmed vs. Rumored — The Full Breakdown
- Groudon Scale World figure returning (May 2027): Confirmed
- Kyogre Scale World figure returning (May 2027): Confirmed
- Rayquaza Scale World figure returning (May 2027): Confirmed
- Pokémon Ruby Switch release: Unconfirmed
- Pokémon Sapphire Switch release: Unconfirmed
- Pokémon Emerald Switch release: Unconfirmed
- Gen 3 games on Switch 2 in 2027: Unconfirmed
- Pokémon Winds and Waves (Switch 2, 2027): Confirmed
What Would a Gen 3 Return Actually Mean?
If Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald do eventually come to Switch, Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza would obviously be the centrepiece of that announcement. The Hoenn games introduced Double Battles, one of the most iconic Legendary storylines in the franchise’s history, and a region that still has a dedicated fanbase two decades later.
The original GBA games never received the same Nintendo Switch Online treatment as the NES and SNES libraries, so a proper port or remaster would genuinely fill a gap in how the series is accessible on modern hardware. And given that FireRed and LeafGreen already made that jump in 2026, the infrastructure is clearly there.
Whether it actually happens in 2027 is still anyone’s guess — but the combination of new merchandise, official social media activity, and an active rumour cycle makes this one of the more interesting “is it or isn’t it” situations in the Pokémon space right now. If you want to stay across Pokémon GO’s current live events in the meantime, our Pokémon GO Mega Squads Event Recap covers everything from the Super Max Mega Level system to the Shiny Flamigo debut.
Final Thoughts
Right now, the only thing you can put money on is those Scale World figures hitting shelves in May 2027. Everything else — the Switch ports, the emulator data, the leaked timeline — is still in the “wait and see” category. The Pokémon Company has said plainly that official title information goes up on Pokémon.com when it’s ready, and nothing about Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald has appeared there yet.
But the pieces on the board are interesting enough that this one is worth keeping an eye on. Official footage, a relevant merchandise drop, and a series precedent of bringing GBA games back to modern hardware don’t add up to a confirmation — but they’re not nothing either.
