Pokémon FireRed Speedrunner Discovers Groundbreaking New Glitch on Nintendo Switch
Speedrunner Gunnermaniac — the current Elite 4 Round 2 record holder for Pokémon FireRed — has discovered a new glitch in the game’s Nintendo Switch version that saves over a minute in at least one speedrun category. It is being called the biggest time save in nearly a decade of Pokémon speedrunning.
The discovery is already reshaping established route strategies for Pokémon FireRed (Game Freak, 2004), more than two decades after the game’s original GBA release.
The Glitch: What Was Found and How It Works
The glitch is triggered by a surprisingly simple button input — a single button press that produces a sequence break not previously known to the speedrunning community. The specific trigger has been published and is available via Gunnermaniac’s channel and on speedrun.com.
The time save is over one minute in the affected category (per Bulbagarden reporting), a figure that immediately puts existing world records at risk.
Why This Matters for Speedrunning
Pokémon FireRed’s any% and glitchless categories are among the most established in GBA-era Pokémon speedrunning. A time save of over one minute represents a category-reshaping discovery. Existing any% world record times are immediately vulnerable, and the community will spend the coming weeks routing and validating how the glitch integrates into optimised runs.
The discovery was made in the Switch version of FireRed. Pokémon FireRed is available on Nintendo Switch via Nintendo Switch Online’s Game Boy Advance library, which launched in 2021. The Switch version uses emulation — meaning glitches may behave differently compared to the original GBA cartridge version.
Platform Specifics: Switch vs GBA Cartridge
This is the load-bearing question the community is now investigating. If the glitch is exclusive to the Switch Online emulated environment and does not replicate on original GBA hardware or other emulators, it will likely be categorised as emulator-specific — many speedrun communities maintain separate leaderboards for emulator and console runs.
If the glitch replicates on cartridge, the entire category structure changes. No confirmed cartridge test results have been published at the time of writing.
What This Means for Pokémon Fans and Speedrun Viewers
Pokémon FireRed is one of the entry points for new speedrunners. The franchise’s GBA games — FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald — have active submission boards on speedrun.com and Discord communities with regular new-runner intake. A discovery of this scale, attributed to an established record holder like Gunnermaniac, will bring significant viewer attention back to the category.
For Switch owners who have Pokémon FireRed through Nintendo Switch Online (included with any NSO subscription tier), the glitch is accessible in a game you already have. NSO pricing varies — check the Nintendo eShop MY for current subscription costs in Malaysia.
What Comes Next
Expect the speedrun community to document and validate the glitch over the coming days, with routes updated on speedrun.com as runners optimise its integration. If the glitch carries over to original GBA cartridge, a rapid wave of world record attempts will follow.
GamesHarbour will follow up as route verification concludes and if the glitch achieves cartridge confirmation.
Source: GamesRadar — “The biggest time save in nearly a decade of Pokemon speedrunning has been discovered” (https://www.gamesradar.com/games/pokemon/the-biggest-time-save-in-nearly-a-decade-of-pokemon-speedrunning-has-been-discovered-thanks-to-the-new-firered-and-leafgreen-switch-ports-and-all-it-takes-is-the-press-of-a-button/); Bulbagarden forums (https://bulbagarden.net/threads/new-speedrunning-trick-discovered-in-pokemon-firered-leafgreen-that-can-save-over-a-minute-in-one-category.310129/)
Image: Nintendo / Game Freak
