No, a new Nintendo Switch model isn’t on the way just because a Pokémon leaker said so

You can’t go a week without seeing new “leaks” pop up surrounding popular gaming companies and franchises, especially when they are as big as Nintendo and Pokémon. But out of the mountains of fake information occasionally comes a nugget of truth, and this time, that might be one Scarlet and Violet leaker revealing the release timeline for an upgraded Nintendo Switch—though it isn’t likely. 

In one of the always pleasant 4chan threads regarding the Pokémon Day 2023 Pokémon Presents broadcast, which mostly boiled down to fake leakers dropping long posts about their “inside information,” one user stands out. 

Written out in poor English via translator, the poster claimed to be a programmer for a company Game Freak and The Pokémon Company outsources work to and shared a very brief list of information specifically focusing on Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC. And unlike every other post about the presentation, this user nailed every single aspect of the reveal—barring some of the smaller details like Pokémon names or locations for the DLC. 

Related: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet get Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, Legendary Paradox Tera Raid event

The post noted the full name of the new DLC expansion, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, the inclusion of Paradox Suicune and Paradox Virizion along with their typings, the descriptions of both new Legendary Pokémon for the DLC, and the DLC purchase bonus featuring more trainer clothing. 

Some of that info could have been guessed from previous leaks or speculation, but the sheer accuracy in some of the finer details is where this post shines. But that doesn’t mean the last line talking about the second DLC launch and a new Switch is also accurate. 

While it could end up being true that a new Switch model will launch alongside or around “DLC2” for Scarlet and Violet, there are some inconsistencies there. 

First, the person writing the post claims to be a programmer from an outsourced company that works on Pokémon. That alone likely points to them having no direct lines to information from Nintendo beyond Pokémon titles, which limits the possibility of info on a Switch Pro or Switch 2 getting to their hands like the DLC info could have. 

The poster also notes that they speak poor English and used machine translation on the text they shared. This could easily mean the translator stuck words together in an awkward way that may have changed the meaning of that last sentence. 

It could very well be that the person meant to say something closer to a graphics enhancement patch will be released alongside DLC2 on the Nintendo Switch and “models” is out of place or mistranslated from something smaller. That would also better line up with some of the wording in recent Scarlet and Violet patch notes regarding continued improvements to the gameplay experience. 

Related: All confirmed returning Pokémon for The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Scarlet and Violet DLC

So even though it is clear the original post did have some inside information, the role the person claims to have and the use of translation software put heavy doubt on the legitimacy of their info on a new Switch model. 

As always, take this information lightly until Nintendo or one of the company’s partners actually confirms it is true. Fans have been burned before by buying into leaks and rumors that seem to have some accurate details but end up being wrong, even though they could end up being true in the end.

For now, fans will simply have to wait for the release of Scarlet and Violet’s The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, and specifically Part 2: The Indigo Disk, to see if any of that last statement holds up in winter 2023.