It might be time to dig out that old 3DS and check exactly which Pokémon are still sitting on it.
The Pokémon Company has announced that Pokémon Bank will shut down in 2027, giving trainers just over six months to move anything they still have sitting in Bank into Pokémon HOME.
More importantly, the shutdown will cut off the current path between HOME and generations of older Pokémon games. So if there are old teams, Shinies, event Pokémon, or favourites still scattered across a few cartridges, now is probably a good time to work out where they actually are. The Pokémon Company announced the closure on 13 August, alongside news that the Nintendo Switch releases of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will gain Pokémon HOME support in October.
When is Pokémon Bank shutting down?
Pokémon Bank will officially shut down on Thursday, 25 February 2027 at 7.00 PM PST/11.00 AM SGT on 26 February. After that point, transferring Pokémon from Bank into Pokémon HOME will no longer be possible, with The Pokémon Company advising trainers to move anything they want to keep before service ends.
Pokémon Bank launched on Nintendo 3DS in 2013 in Japan and 2014 elsewhere, eventually becoming the main bridge for bringing Pokémon from older generations into the newer games. Once Bank shuts down, that bridge goes with it.
Why is Pokémon Bank shutting down?
The Pokémon Company hasn't given a specific reason for shutting down Pokémon Bank. Bank has already stuck around much longer than most of the Nintendo 3DS's online services. Nintendo ended online play and most other online functionality for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software in April 2024, but Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter were allowed to keep running. Nintendo warned at the time that both could eventually shut down too.
Bank also survived the closure of the Nintendo 3DS eShop, becoming free to use when purchases ended in 2023. Trainers have been able to keep using it to move their older Pokémon into HOME ever since, but that window will finally close next February.
Can I still download Pokémon Bank on Nintendo 3DS?
If Pokémon Bank is no longer on your 3DS, check your re-downloadable software first. Trainers who downloaded Bank before the Nintendo 3DS eShop closed can still re-download previously-acquired software, but anyone who never downloaded Bank before the closure will no longer be able to access it.
The same applies to Poké Transporter. If you previously downloaded it, you can still re-download it, but it is no longer available as a new download. Pokémon Bank itself is free to use, but moving Pokémon from Bank into Pokémon HOME requires a paid Pokémon HOME Premium Plan.
Pokémon games affected by the Pokémon Bank shutdown
If your Pokémon are still in an older game, the steps depend on which generation they're coming from. Reddit user CengizMan has also put together a helpful visual showing how Pokémon can be transferred between games from 2002 to 2024:
Pokémon Bank directly supports:
- Pokémon X and Y
- Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
- Pokémon Sun and Moon
- Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
Poké Transporter is needed for:
- Pokémon Black and White
- Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
- Virtual Console Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow
- Virtual Console Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal
For Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, you'll first need to move them into Black, White, Black 2, or White 2 through Poké Transfer. From there, the route is Poké Transporter → Pokémon Bank → Pokémon HOME. This also requires two Nintendo DS or 3DS systems for the first transfer.
Pokémon from Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen on Game Boy Advance need one more step. They first go through Pal Park into Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold or SoulSilver, then follow the same route through Generation V → Poké Transporter → Pokémon Bank → Pokémon HOME. You'll also need a Nintendo DS with a Game Boy Advance cartridge slot.
Once Pokémon Bank shuts down, none of these routes will be able to continue into Pokémon HOME.
How to transfer Pokémon from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME before shutdown
You'll need a Pokémon HOME Premium Plan to transfer from Bank, as the feature isn't available on HOME's free plan. Open Pokémon Bank on the Nintendo 3DS, select "Move Pokémon to Pokémon HOME", then choose the Boxes you want to transfer.
On the Nintendo Switch version of HOME, select Move from the main menu and follow the prompts to generate a Moving Key. On mobile, you'll find the same option under Options and then Move Pokémon. Enter the Moving Key into Pokémon Bank within three minutes and the transfer will begin.
There is also an option if you no longer have your 3DS. If the Nintendo Network ID previously used with Pokémon Bank is linked to the Nintendo Account you use for Pokémon HOME, you can start the transfer entirely through HOME. The catch is that every Pokémon stored in Bank will be moved at once rather than letting you pick individual Boxes. Transfers are one-way, so once a Pokémon has moved from Pokémon Bank into Pokémon HOME, it can't be sent back to Bank.
With Pokémon Bank shutting down in February, now is the time to get those old teams and favourites into HOME while the route is still open.
