Opinion: Sadly, Pokémon Remakes Are Allegedly a Thing of the Past Now

Zachary Roberts Published 19/08/2026

Pokémon remakes are now a thing of the past

Pokémon fans were probably delighted when FireRed and LeafGreen were ported to the Nintendo Switch console. They were undoubtedly excited to find out that, according to a leak, Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby will follow suit.

FireRed and LeafGreen sold like hotcakes, and it is highly likely that there will be rejoicing once the other leaked port is confirmed by The Pokémon Company. But sadly, based on more leaked intel, these ports represent an unfortunate future for the franchise.

Pokémon ports mean no more remakes

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl may be the final PokÃ©mon remakes

Photo via The Pokémon Company

The leak in question comes from Centro Leaks on X, a reliable Pokémon leaker. The user was asked about the Unova remakes. If you recall, the remake tour The Pokémon Company was going on got up to Sinnoh, a.k.a. Generation IV.

The leaker immediately responded that those remakes are done for. He did not explicitly mention the ports, but the writing is on the wall. With one port and another planned, combined with the knowledge that remakes are over with, it’s easy to make the connection.

The leaker even went on to say that Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the most recent remake, wasn’t supposed to happen. They only made it because The Pokémon Company was concerned the Legends games wouldn’t do well. When they did, it marked the likely end of any new remakes.

This isn’t to say that old generations are now forever tied to the past, but Nintendo and everyone involved seem more interested in revisiting previous regions with new eyes, à la Legends: Arceus and Z-A. And to satisfy those who miss the old games, ports are a fine stand-in, right?

Why this is so unfortunate

Remakes are already on the lazier side of game development. Even if the game is made from the ground up for a modern console, much like the new Ocarina of Time remake is rumored to be, or like the Resident Evil remakes, the heavy lifting of story, character, and more is already done. It’s easier than making a brand new game.

That said, what The Pokémon Company seems poised to do is even lazier. It’s great that they want to re-explore old regions with new games that try out new mechanics or features. It’s also disappointing that they’re foregoing the remakes entirely.

Obviously, they are capable of making a remake while also making a new Legends game — they did it with BDSP and Arceus. The fact that they’re going to continue making the Legends games with ports of old games reportedly accompanying them instead of remakes is sad. The Pokémon Company is big enough and profitable enough to give people what they deserve.

Featured image credit: The Pokémon Company

Zachary Roberts

About Zachary Roberts

Zachary Roberts is an avid gamer and writer that loves to merge those things. He’s been featured on VideoGamer, ComicBook, New Leaf, Esports.net, and Sportskeeda as well as the On SI network of Sports Illustrated and Sporting News.

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