The excitement surrounding the arrival of the
Nintendo Switch 2 has been dampened for many *Pokémon* fans. These fans are reporting
losing their save games after transferring data from their previous console. While the process should be safe in theory, several players are warning that
some titles, like *Pokémon Scarlet*, may be irretrievably lost. This happens even if there are no errors during the transfer.
Thousands of hours wasted on the Nintendo game
The most notable case was shared on Reddit by *ThatOtaku26*. He claims to have lost
a save with over 1,000 hours of gameplay and Pokémon carried over from previous generations. He talked about titles like *Leaf Green* (Game Boy Advance) and *Diamond* (Nintendo DS). His *Scarlet* file simply disappeared after moving from his original Switch to his new Switch 2. “
Everything is gone. The game starts up like it’s the first time. There’s no data on my OLED. Literally 20 years of memories erased,” wrote the visibly shaken player.
This testimony was echoed by other users who reported
similar losses. These losses affected not only *Pokémon* titles but also games like
Breath of the Wild,
Tears of the Kingdom,
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and more. In some cases, not a single save file remained. As a result, players were forced to start from scratch. This phenomenon, although not widespread, is causing concern among the community.
The root of the problem is that
Pokémon games don't support Nintendo Switch Online's cloud save system. This system works for most titles in the catalog. Games like *Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee*, *Sword and Shield*, *Legends: Arceus*, and *Scarlet/Violet*
don't allow cloud saves. So if something goes wrong during the transfer, or if the file simply doesn't migrate correctly, everything is lost.
Pokémon is not the only case
Given this, experienced fans strongly recommend using the
Pokémon Home app, the franchise's official cloud storage service. While the free version allows you to store up to 30 creatures, paid subscriptions provide space for hundreds more. This tool has become the
only reliable way to protect Pokémon before switching consoles.
"I keep all my Pokémon on Home for fear
of this happening," one player commented. "If I
ever get the Switch 2, I'll transfer everything to Home first and then check the rest," another said. Many agree that this step should be considered essential if you plan to keep your Pokémon for a lifetime, especially if you've been accumulating them for generations.
However, not everyone has shown empathy. Some users have directly blamed those who didn't back up their data, arguing that this warning is well-known in the community. "
If your Pokémon were so important, why didn't you move them to Home sooner?" one commenter harshly questioned.
And Nintendo Switch 2 keeps selling
Meanwhile,
the Nintendo Switch 2 has debuted strongly, selling
3.5 million units in its first four days. It has managed to double the launch figures of the original console. However, the situation with *Pokémon* shows that
not everything is perfect in this generational transition. Even a seemingly successful transfer can wipe out years of progress.
The advice is clear:
if you value your Pokémon games, transfer your creatures to Pokémon Home before starting the migration to Switch 2. Because in the digital world, mistakes don't always give second chances.
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