Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • Submit your game clips
  • GDC
Don't miss these
A screenshot from Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen shows a male player character on a bike in a town.
Pokemon Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen Switch releases have an easy way to reset your game, which is either amazing or terrible news
Key art for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen showing Venasaur against a swirling green background, cropped for a header image
Pokemon Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have been on Switch for over a week, but many players are still stuck in Oak's Lab
Photo of the Pokemon Rescue team helping someone with a Pokemon transfer at the Pokemon Europe International Championships 2026.
Pokemon Meet the real-life Pokemon Rescue team determined to save fans' old friends from their retro cartridge jail
A screenshot of Raikou as seen in the Pokemon anime.
Pokemon Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Switch re-releases patch a bug that could make certain legendaries disappear permanently
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing How to transfer your Animal Crossing New Horizons island from Switch 1 to Switch 2
A player ponders over a crafting bench in Pokemon Pokopia, not available on the Switch 1.
Pokemon Can I play Pokemon Pokopia on Switch 1?
Image of the Samsung P9 microSD Express card on a pink GamesRadar+ background.
Accessories This 256GB Switch 2 SD card is cheaper than the official Nintendo model, just in time for Pokemon Pokopia
A screenshot of Poketopia in Pokemon Battle Revolution.
Pokemon Pokemon player spends 5+ years completing one of the weirdest Shiny hunts in history
A Snorlax covered in moss sits in a dark room with moonlight streaming in from above. A screenshot from Pokopia.
Pokemon Pokemon Pokopia seemingly hints at a tragic fate for a specific NPC from FireRed and LeafGreen
The player takes a selfie - from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's entry in The Story of Pokemon bookazine
Pokemon These five Pokemon Sword and Shield features helped to open up this RPG series forever, ushering in a new era
Zoomed-in, cropped box art for Pokemon FireRed shows Charizard roaring.
Pokemon Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen re-releases will be compatible with Pokemon Home after all
In Pokemon Winds and Waves, the large whale-like Pokemon Wailord shoots water up from its blow hole on the surface of the ocean
Pokemon The 5-year wait for Pokemon Winds and Waves is unprecedented, but it looks like Nintendo has learned its lesson from Scarlet and Violet
Lugia in Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness
Pokemon Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness is coming to Nintendo Switch Online next month, but there's no sign of Colosseum yet
Photo of the pink EasySMX S10 Lite controller sitting on a Switch 2 running Pokemon Pokopia.
Accessories Just like Ditto, these Switch 2 accessories will transform my time with Pokemon Pokopia
In Pokemon Winds and Waves, the large whale-like Pokemon Wailord shoots water up from its blow hole on the surface of the ocean
Pokemon Can you play Pokemon Winds and Waves on Nintendo Switch 1?
  1. Games
  2. Adventure Games
  3. Pokemon
  4. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

"Just all gone": Pokemon player loses "20 years worth of data" when transferring Scarlet save file to Switch 2, and they're apparently not the only one

News
By Issy van der Velde published 17 June 2025

Please back up your 'mons properly

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The leader of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Team Star laughs menacingly
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
2
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

A Pokemon player who wanted to transfer their data from their Switch to their new Switch 2 has lost "literally 20 years worth of data" as their Pokemon Scarlet save file "is gone." It's all of our worst nightmares.

In a now-deleted Reddit post shared by IGN, the player writes: "I just got a Switch 2, did the startup and initial data transfer with no issues. My Scarlet save file is gone. It loads straight into the language selection and create a character screens. No data on my OLED. Just all gone."

It's unclear what's caused this issue. "There was no error in transfer data at all," the redditor writes, but in all caps. "It went fine. All my other Pokemon data is still there, but not Scarlet. I had mons from my original GBA up to current on there. Literally 20 years worth of data. There's nothing I can do. I don't even know if I wanna play anymore."

You may like
  • A screenshot from Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen shows a male player character on a bike in a town. Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen Switch releases have an easy way to reset your game, which is either amazing or terrible news
  • Key art for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen showing Venasaur against a swirling green background, cropped for a header image Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have been on Switch for over a week, but many players are still stuck in Oak's Lab
  • Photo of the Pokemon Rescue team helping someone with a Pokemon transfer at the Pokemon Europe International Championships 2026. Meet the real-life Pokemon Rescue team determined to save fans' old friends from their retro cartridge jail

Some commenters reply that they've had similar issues in the past. "This same exact thing happened to me when I was transferring from my original Switch to the OLED. Tears were shed."

"Same thing happened to me but with Violet," says another, while one adds: "Same thing happened to me but I lost all non save cloud data."

If you want to learn how to transfer Switch data to the Switch 2 to mitigate the chance of any errors, we've got you covered. And although the worst has happened to some people, don't panic. Some of our own writers have done transfers with no issue, but this incident just proves it's a good idea to back up your 'mons on Pokemon Home before attempting anything like this.

In the meantime, check out our ranking of the best Pokemon game. Just make sure you store all your critters safely.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
TOPICS
Game Freak The Pokemon Company
CATEGORIES
Nintendo Switch 2 Platforms Nintendo
Issy van der Velde
Issy van der Velde
Social Links Navigation
Contributor

I'm Issy, a freelancer who you'll now occasionally see over here covering news on GamesRadar. I've always had a passion for playing games, but I learned how to write about them while doing my Film and TV degrees at the University of Warwick and contributing to the student paper, The Boar. After university I worked at TheGamer before heading up the news section at Dot Esports. Now you'll find me freelancing for Rolling Stone, NME, Inverse, and many more places. I love all things horror, narrative-driven, and indie, and I mainly play on my PS5. I'm currently clearing my backlog and loving Dishonored 2.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
A screenshot from Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen shows a male player character on a bike in a town.
Pokemon Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen Switch releases have an easy way to reset your game, which is either amazing or terrible news
 
 
Key art for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen showing Venasaur against a swirling green background, cropped for a header image
Pokemon Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have been on Switch for over a week, but many players are still stuck in Oak's Lab
 
 
A screenshot of Raikou as seen in the Pokemon anime.
Pokemon Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Switch re-releases patch a bug that could make certain legendaries disappear permanently
 
 
Photo of the Pokemon Rescue team helping someone with a Pokemon transfer at the Pokemon Europe International Championships 2026.
Pokemon Meet the real-life Pokemon Rescue team determined to save fans' old friends from their retro cartridge jail
 
 
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing How to transfer your Animal Crossing New Horizons island from Switch 1 to Switch 2
 
 
A player ponders over a crafting bench in Pokemon Pokopia, not available on the Switch 1.
Pokemon Can I play Pokemon Pokopia on Switch 1?
 
 
Latest in Pokemon
Zoomed-in, cropped box art for Pokemon FireRed shows Charizard roaring.
Pokemon "The biggest time save in nearly a decade of Pokemon speedrunning" has been discovered in FireRed
 
 
Ditto and Onix in Pokemon Pokopia
Pokemon Minecraft griefing returns in Pokemon Pokopia as player ruins "public island for co-op building" with 0 guilt
 
 
Pikachu on a brick path looking up over its shoulder into the foreground
Tabletop Gaming If you want to collect Pokemon cards again like me, this is the best place to start
 
 
Pokemon Pokopia Mosslax
Pokemon New Pokemon Pokopia update addresses early-game softlocking and more, because we all deserve to meet Mosslax ASAP
 
 
A player runs towards the Pokemon Pokopia release time
Pokemon Pokemon Pokopia fan creates Cloud Island you can use to get the cozy game's rarest goodies, Animal Crossing-style
 
 
Five Nights at Freddy's 2
Tabletop Gaming Mckenna Grace opens Pokemon cards at the Oscars, and it's one hell of a vibe
 
 
Latest in News
Screenshot from Minecraft Dungeons 2's reveal trailer, showing a bunch of villagers standing around a blocky village.
Minecraft Minecraft Dungeons 2 takes another stab at Mojang's surprisingly great Diablo-inspired RPG spin-off later this year
 
 
Palworld
Survival Games "We have no desire to be a media empire," says Palworld publishing head but Pocketpair would be stupid to let it die out
 
 
Protagonist Jordan in a screenshot from the reveal trailer for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
The Last of Us Neil Druckmann's teasing the return of a The Last of Us actor in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
 
 
A screenshot of the Adoring Fan seen in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.
The Elder Scrolls Todd Howard says Oblivion leaks didn't help Bethesda or players: "Everyone is gonna have a different version"
 
 
Slay the Spire 2
Roguelike Games Slay the Spire 2 devs respond to the flurry of negative Steam reviews: "No change is necessarily permanent"
 
 
Crimson Desert
Open World Games "My dream game": After 7 hours, Palworld publishing lead delivers his Crimson Desert verdict: "This game is made for me"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Screenshot from Minecraft Dungeons 2's reveal trailer, showing a bunch of villagers standing around a blocky village.
    1
    Minecraft Dungeons 2 takes another stab at Mojang's surprisingly great Diablo-inspired RPG spin-off later this year
  2. 2
    Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord showrunner says that the former Sith is still a villain.
  3. 3
    Fallout season 3 will incorporate "a few things from the game that we've wanted to do since season one," says showrunner
  4. 4
    Daredevil: Born Again season 2 release schedule: when is episode 1 on Disney Plus?
  5. 5
    How your feedback helped shape Starfield's biggest updates: "We're always checking in," says Bethesda

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...