Pokémon GS Chronicles goes big with Kanto, 16 badges and 750 Pokémon

Pokémon GS Chronicles is getting a much bigger Beta 3 release on 18 November 2026, opening Kanto, extending the campaign to 16 Gym Badges and giving players a route to one of Pokémon’s most familiar late-game battles: Red. It’s a sizeable step for the FireRed-based ROM hack. Previous versions focused heavily on Johto, reworking the second-generation Pokémon setup with newer mechanics, rewritten events and ideas borrowed from later games. Beta 3 pushes the project into its next major phase. Kanto is the headline addition. It won’t arrive as a brief extra region tacked onto the ending either. Players can continue after Johto, take on another set of Gym Leaders and work through several story threads spread across the region. There’s still more planned after Beta 3, so this isn’t the finished version. For players following the project, though, November’s release should contain a much larger chunk of the intended game.

Kanto takes centre stage

GS Chronicles uses Pokémon FireRed as its technical base, but it isn’t trying to reproduce Pokémon Gold, Silver or Crystal scene for scene. The project reshapes Johto with altered events, newer battle mechanics and a presentation influenced by later Pokémon releases. HeartGold and SoulSilver provide some obvious reference points, yet the structure goes in its own direction. Beta 3 extends this approach into Kanto.

Players can move through both regions and collect 16 Gym Badges, restoring one of the defining structural ideas from Pokémon’s second generation. Eight badges belong to Johto, with another eight waiting across Kanto.

Progress through Kanto won’t rely on a single straight sequence. Three main quest lines form much of the region’s campaign, and players can approach them in different orders. The Pokémon League remains part of the wider progression. Completing the major objectives moves the game closer to its planned ending, but the final story quest isn’t part of Beta 3. That material is being saved for a later release.

Red is waiting at the far end

Beta 3 goes far enough to include a battle with Red. For anyone familiar with Gold, Silver and Crystal, the significance is obvious. Red served as the high-level opponent sitting beyond the main Johto and Kanto progression, and GS Chronicles uses the same basic idea for its extended campaign.

Reaching him gives Beta 3 a clear late-game destination. It doesn’t mean development is finished. Several planned systems remain absent, and parts of the wider project will arrive later. Still, letting players reach Red gives this release considerably more scope than earlier builds.

The Pokédex has grown far beyond FireRed

The Pokémon selection has become much larger too. GS Chronicles plans a regional Pokédex with more than 500 species. Once the National Pokédex enters play, the figure rises to roughly 750. Most come from generations one through eight, with newer evolutions included where they suit the existing selection. The battle system has moved far past standard FireRed mechanics as well. Mega Evolution plays a major role, rather than appearing as a small optional extra.

The physical and special move split is present. Fairy-type Pokémon and moves are included. Trainer teams have been revised, and selected Pokémon receive updated statistics or movesets. Field exploration has changed too. PokéRides replace the traditional HM setup, cutting out the need to load party members with field moves simply to cross an obstacle.

A real-time day and night system changes the presentation across different hours, with encounter tables using time as part of Pokémon availability. These additions make GS Chronicles quite different from running an altered FireRed campaign with Johto graphics placed on top.

Some planned features remain outside Beta 3

There are still gaps. Follower Pokémon aren’t expected in Beta 3. Selectable difficulty options and level caps remain planned for a future version, along with dedicated battle facilities. The phone system isn’t complete either.

So Beta 3 occupies an interesting point in development. Most of the large-scale campaign structure is coming into place, including Johto, Kanto, 16 badges and Red, yet several supporting systems and the closing story material remain unfinished. It’s a beta in a very literal sense.

Beta 3 arrives on 18 November

Pokémon GS Chronicles Beta 3 is scheduled for 18 November 2026. For this release, the biggest change is simple: the game stretches much further. Kanto opens up, the badge count doubles, the Pokédex grows, and Red becomes reachable.

The final version still has work left on its list. Beta 3, though, should provide the most complete playable version of GS Chronicles so far and a much clearer picture of what its full Johto and Kanto campaign is aiming to become. Pokémon GS Chronicles remains an unofficial fan-made ROM hack. Nintendo, Game Freak and The Pokémon Company aren’t involved with the project.