Pokémon fans, mark your calendars: Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is coming March 2026 to the Nintendo Switch 2 system for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. The announcement dropped during today's Pokémon Presents celebration of the franchise's 30th anniversary, and this is huge for players who've never had a legitimate way to experience one of gaming's most beloved cult classics.
Released in 2005 on the Nintendo GameCube, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness set itself apart from its handheld counterparts by allowing players to explore a 3D Orre region, the setting of Pokémon Colosseum. Here's the thing: Before its confirmation for Nintendo Switch Online, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness had become a high-demand collector's title on the Nintendo GameCube, with complete copies frequently sold for over US$150 to US$200 on the resale market, with the graded price reaching well over US$1000. A lot of people just gave up trying to play it.
The game is part of Nintendo's Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service, and is exclusively available on Switch 2. That means you'll need the upgraded NSO subscription to access it, and it won't work on the original Switch. You will not be able to transfer Pokémon you have raised in the Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness game to other titles, and you cannot transfer Pokémon you have raised in other games to Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. So this is a standalone adventure, but finally accessible without dropping serious money or hunting for old hardware.
An exact release date within March hasn't been locked in yet, but Pokémon XD Gale of Darkness launches on Nintendo GameCube: Nintendo Classics for Nintendo Switch 2 on 2 March, 2026 according to some sources. Either way, one of the rarest Pokémon games ever made is about to feel a lot less rare.