TL;DR: A datamine of the newly released Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on Nintendo Switch has revealed that the Sloop GBA emulator used to run them also explicitly recognizes ROMs for Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. While not a confirmation, the discovery strongly suggests Nintendo may be planning to bring the Hoenn trilogy to Switch in the future.
The re-release of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on Nintendo Switch may be more than just a standalone 30th anniversary gesture. A datamine conducted shortly after the games launched has uncovered evidence suggesting that Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald could be heading to the platform as well — and the technical groundwork may already be in place.
As reported by Bluesky user Yakumono, also known as LuigiBlood, and further verified by community leaker Centro Leaks, the FireRed and LeafGreen Switch releases are running on Nintendo’s Sloop emulator, the same GBA emulation layer used for Game Boy Advance titles on Nintendo Switch Online. According to the dataminer, the emulator explicitly recognizes ROMs of Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald alongside FireRed and LeafGreen — a discovery found within the initialization code that enables emulator-specific hacks for different titles.
What the Datamine Actually Found
The discovery centers on how the Sloop emulator is built to handle different GBA titles. Yakumono notes that the FireRed and LeafGreen ROMs have been extensively rebuilt, containing notable code changes and emulator hacks that go well beyond a straightforward port. Crucially, the emulator’s recognition of Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald ROMs was found alongside the initialization code that enables emulator hacks for specific games — the same system used to make FireRed and LeafGreen run smoothly on Switch hardware.
However, Yakumono was careful to manage expectations. In a follow-up reply, the dataminer clarified that what the code reveals is a snapshot of developer intentions at the time the build was created, not a guarantee of release: “Maybe it means RSE is next, maybe it’s never actually happening. It just means they had intentions at one point and nothing else.”
In other words, the emulator’s capability to run these games is confirmed. Whether Nintendo will actually publish them is not.
Why This Discovery Carries Real Weight
Context makes the datamine more compelling than a typical leak. FireRed and LeafGreen were released as standalone purchases rather than as Nintendo Switch Online additions, priced as premium re-releases that Nintendo described as offering players “the ultimate versions of those original adventures.” Several mainline Pokémon titles including Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald have yet to appear on Nintendo Switch Online or as standalone Switch purchases Blizzard News, leaving a significant gap in the franchise’s digital legacy on modern hardware.
The Hoenn games are also approaching their own milestone: 2027 marks the 25th anniversary of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire’s original Japanese release in 2002. Community discussions on ResetEra and Famiboards have noted this timing as a natural window for Nintendo to announce the re-releases, particularly given that the 30th anniversary celebration has already been described as a year-long initiative — not a single-day event.
There is also a technical consideration worth noting around connectivity. Ruby and Sapphire use a traditional link cable for trading rather than the GBA Wireless Adapter, which FireRed and LeafGreen support. Emerald, however, does support the wireless adapter, meaning it could connect with FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch without requiring additional emulator modifications. World of Warcraft Some community members have speculated this could lead to Emerald launching first or being released separately from Ruby and Sapphire.
The Broader 30th Anniversary Picture
The datamine sits within a larger wave of Pokémon re-release activity tied to the franchise’s 30th anniversary. Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is officially joining Nintendo Switch Online’s GameCube Classics library on March 2, 2026, launching exclusively for Switch 2 subscribers with access to the GameCube tier. The title had become a high-demand collector’s item, with complete physical copies frequently selling for over $150 on the resale market. Its digital re-release on Switch 2 removes that barrier entirely.
FireRed and LeafGreen’s Switch release also came with a notable change: the Aurora Ticket and Mystic Ticket — previously limited-time distribution items from the original GBA era — are now included in the re-release, allowing players to access Deoxys through in-game means. If Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald follow the same treatment, players could see similarly modernized versions of those games with previously event-exclusive content baked in.
What Could Come After Hoenn?
If Nintendo follows a generation-by-generation approach to re-releases, the question of what comes after Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald is already being debated. The Sinnoh generation — Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum — presents a more complex situation, given that Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the official remakes, are still relatively recent releases on Switch. Nintendo DS games are also not currently available through Nintendo Switch Online, meaning any Sinnoh re-releases would likely need to follow the standalone purchase model used for FireRed and LeafGreen rather than being added to the subscription service.
For fans following all things Pokémon this week, our coverage of Pokémon Masters EX adding Red and Pikachu from 1996 covers another piece of the 30th anniversary puzzle. And for the full breakdown of what was announced for the competitive side of the franchise, check out our article on Pokémon UNITE adding the three Legendary Birds and Johto starters.
Final Thoughts
The datamine is not a confirmation, but it is far from nothing. Finding Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald recognition baked into the emulator powering the franchise’s first Switch re-releases — alongside emulator hack initialization code — suggests that Nintendo has at least planned for these titles at the development level. Whether that planning translates into an official announcement at a future Pokémon Presents, on next year’s Pokémon Day, or not at all remains to be seen. For now, Hoenn fans have more reason for optimism than they have had in years.
Source: Kotaku – Datamine Hints More Pokémon Games Could Come to Switch
