When will Pokemon Home arrive in Scarlet and Violet?

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet feature new monsters to discover and tame. However, given that there are officially over a thousand Pokemon at this point, fans may want to have some of their older favorites in the latest installment. This is made possible to an extent thanks to the Pokemon HOME service.

It has seen particular use from fans regarding transferring critters from the Nintendo 3DS installments of the long-running monster-tamer franchise over to the Nintendo Switch version. However, the service still hasn't arrived for Scarlet and Violet.

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Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to be fully compatible with HOME in 2023

It has been officially confirmed that Pokemon HOME will be updated to be compatible with Scarlet and Violet later this year. One feature, Ranked Battle Data, is confirmed to be set for "early 2023."

Additionally, updates to the database suggest that the feature will be ready by February 2023. This will allow players to check their rankings in competitive Battle Stadium matches via a leaderboard. Information that players can access using this feature also lists frequently used creatures, and their builds, consisting of abilities, moves, equipped items, and more.

However, there is still no word on when the main aspect of the service will go live: Pokemon transfers. This would allow players to bring over creatures from other Nintendo Switch entries. These include: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, Sword, and Shield, Legends: Arceus, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

From screenshots, we know that Hisuian variants like Zorua and the brand new Scyther evolution Kleavor will make it over; these debuted in Legends: Arceus, the experimental open-world entry that was released last year for Nintendo Switch.

Official statements peg the launch of transfers in spring 2023. Assuming the Battle Data update goes live in February 2023, transfers are not too far off. Players can expect a second major update allowing them to transfer over their favorite monsters from previous games to arrive between March and June 2023. The game will likely continue to see a healthy userbase up until the next game's announcement.

Since the series is now nearly annual, developer Game Freak would likely want to bring it to fans as soon as possible. A greater roster of monsters should spice up the Scarlet and Violet competitive metagame even further. Note that not all monsters will be transferable to Scarlet and Violet.

The options will be limited to critters that can appear in those games. However, fans can expect to be able to bring iconic ones like the starters and legendaries.

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Is Pokemon HOME free to use?

In general, yes, it is a free to use service. There are no costs associated with HOME for free users. However, a premium plan is also available, which offers greater benefits.

These include the ability to transfer creatures in the Bank (the precursor of HOME for the Nintendo 3DS) and also store a dramatically far more significant number of monsters on the cloud - up to 6000 of them. The monthly subscription costs $2.99, while for three months, it costs $4.99. An annual subscription is also available for $15.99.

Players must download the mobile app for their Android or iOS device to be a transfer medium. This will see players link the same Nintendo account to the phone and Switch versions of HOME. In addition to transfers, players can trade, check out Pokedex entries, manage Mystery Gifts, and do more.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will be released for the Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022.