Pokémon Officially Returns To Ruby & Sapphire Era Fall 2026

Published Oct 13, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT

Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there.

Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers.

If there is one thing that the Pokémon franchise loves, it is a revival and what better way to celebrate fan favorite entries than by returning them in brand-new releases? Well, that is the case for some familiar faces from 2002's Pokémon Ruby Version and Pokémon Sapphire Version who are set to make a return in a new update for Pokémon Masters EX.

First released back in 2019, Pokémon Masters EX is a free-to-play gacha game set in the Pokémon universe. Available on both iOS and Android, it takes players to the island of Pasio, where they will be tasked with battling and recruiting fellow Pokémon Trainers from both the main video game series and hit anime. As such, you will expect to run into some familiar faces, and with regular updates, Pokémon Masters EX manages to stay up-to-date with the ever-growing roster.

With the main goal of gameplay being to compete in 3-on-3 battles called the Pokémon Masters League in order to become the Champion, players will need to take part in various battles across the map and, as mentioned, they will be going head-to-head with some of Pokémon's most iconic characters, whether they are villainous or not.

As such, in a brand-new video shared for Pokémon Masters EX, we can see that new Sync Pairs will be added to the game. If you are unfamiliar, Sync Pairs are the core units of gameplay, consisting of one Pokémon Trainer and their partner Pokémon. Now, thanks to this update, Maxie and Ting-Lu and Archie and Wo-Chien will be heading to the game on 14 October 2026.

Archie teams up with Wo-Chien, and his fellow Pasio Trainers encourage him to participate in the Midnight Parade. He’d better watch out, though—Maxie has no intention of falling behind!

With Champions, Elite Four members, and Gym Leaders from Pokémon past willing to put up a fight, these new teams will need to pull out all the stops in order to win, and it seems as though Maxie and Archie will be feeling the competition against each other on a devastating scale. After all, Archie and Maxie were the heads of Team Aqua and Team Magma in Pokémon Ruby Version and Pokémon Sapphire Version, so it will be interesting to see how these villains will fare whilst competing against each other.

In the brand-new trailer for Pokémon Masters EX, we can see the infamous pair in action as they team up with their respective Pokémon as Sync Pairs and, as you can imagine, it was not long before Pokémon fans shared their thoughts on this epic arrival.

"We haven't received anything for Maxie and Archie since their debut in 2021," one comment over on r/PokemonMasters read. "I'm gonna cryyyy. I'm so happy." Another agreed, adding, "Hell yeah. It's been so long since I've been so excited for a character to drop."

As mentioned, Maxie and Archie head to Pokémon Masters EX on 14 October, meaning you have just 24 hours to gear up for the return of this rival pair.