Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch block some profane rival names

A longtime fan tradition has been assigning crude names to your rival or character, producing lines like Professor Oak addressing his grandson as DICKBUTT or congratulating you, ASSGOBLIN, after you beat the Pokémon League.

The Switch ports of FireRed and LeafGreen went live on the eShop earlier today after the 30th anniversary Pokémon Presents showcase, and players who tried familiar profane names found some were blocked. The game overrides your choice and substitutes a generic name instead.

Some words — including "dick", "pussy", "shit" and even the f-slur — are replaced by names such as "Gary" or "Janne". That filter does not appear to catch milder expletives: "hell" and "damn" were not replaced.

The change appears aimed at preventing screenshots of characters swearing. Whatever the intent, you'll need to be on your best behavior for this return to Kanto.

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