The Pokémon Company has announced that Pokémon Bank, the dedicated storage application for the Nintendo 3DS, will end its service on February 26, 2027. This shutdown means that any Pokémon remaining in players' Pokémon Bank accounts will be lost forever if not migrated to the newer Pokémon Home service before the deadline.
Launched in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS, Pokémon Bank served as a central hub for players to store Pokémon transferred from titles such as Black & White, X & Y, and Sun & Moon. It allowed for the movement of creatures between different generations of games, a feature particularly valued by competitive players and those engaged in collecting specific variants like shiny Pokémon.
While the 3DS eShop was delisted in 2023, preventing new downloads of Pokémon Bank, The Pokémon Company maintained its online functionality. However, with the official end of service date approaching, players are strongly advised to transfer their Pokémon to Pokémon Home, the successor application that is compatible with Nintendo Switch titles.
The Pokémon Company's official statement confirmed that "As a result, transferring Pokémon from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon Home will also no longer be possible. If you have Pokémon stored in Pokémon Bank that you wish to carry over, please move them to Pokémon HOME prior to Pokémon Bank's end of service."
In related news, compatibility for Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen with Pokémon Home is scheduled to be added in October 2026, shortly before the shutdown of Pokémon Bank. This has led to speculation about potential future compatibility updates for other classic titles.