„I'm about to cry” Pokémon save files are being lost in Nintendo Switch 2 data transfer

If you’ve recently bought a Nintendo Switch 2 and you played a Pokémon game on your previous Switch, you may want to think for a moment before transferring your data. With the release of the new console, many owners are taking their game library and save data from their old console onto the new one. Generally, this is a very convenient process, as it is the first time that Nintendo games are widely backwards compatible with the next console. But some users have encountered a gut-wrenching problem.

A Reddit user lost 20 years and 1,000 hours of Pokémon in the transfer to Nintendo Switch 2

When I first learned about what happened to some Nintendo Switch 2 owners’ Pokémon save files, I felt a pit in my stomach. On the first Nintendo Switch console, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Scarlet were some of my most-played games. However, as any Pokémon and Nintendo fan knows, Pokémon may be exclusive to Nintendo hardware, but that does not mean they play by the same rules. The Pokémon Company hosts their own presentations, rarely appearing in the usual Nintendo Directs. And the key to this story is that Pokémon has its own cloud service, unlike most Nintendo games.

Originally reported by GamePro, a now-deleted Reddit post was titled “I’m about to cry. 1000+ hours and 20 years of [Pokémon] gone.” This unfortunate player reportedly transferred their Switch library to their new Switch 2, only to find that when they started up their Pokémon Scarlet game, the data had been lost. Thousands of hours, years of transferring individual Pokémon through multiple games, all lost.

Fortunately, this is not the fate of every Nintendo Switch 2 owner. When I first read this story, I had already performed the data transfer two weeks ago. I had yet to start up one of my Pokémon games, but I dreaded what would happen. Amazingly, both of my Pokémon save files appear to be intact. So, this isn’t something that will absolutely impact you, but as is evident, it’s not impossible. If you're worried about something like this, I highly recommend transferring any Pokémon you don’t want to lose to Pokémon Home before starting the transfer. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any way to ensure that your save file and in-game progress will be completely safe. But you should at least be able to save your team of Pokémon.

The Reddit post may be deleted, but the comments are still visible. Some players shared similar experiences to the poster, losing their hard-earned progress in the shift to the new console, with one user writing, “My heart hurts.” Others offered helpful advice, suggesting that the poster call Nintendo Support because they might have a save file saved somewhere. One user claimed that they “called them a while ago for something similar…” So, if this does happen to you, there is hope.

Hopefully, simply publishing this article can save a few Pokémon fans. If you are nervous, consider using Pokémon Home. If you are already experiencing this issue, there may be a chance to recover your file through Nintendo support. Best of luck to all Pokémon players out there. I’m not sure whether the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A will allow transfers from old games, but I hope everyone has the opportunity to carry their team forward.

Pokemon Scarlet

November 18, 2022

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• Overview

• Pokemon (franchise)
• save / save the game
• The Pokemon Company
• Nintendo Switch 2