On Pokémon Day 2024, we were treated to a sneak peek at a second entry in the Legends series, Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Promising to be an ambitious new adventure in the world of Pokémon, a lot of questions sprang up after the announcement added it into the list of all upcoming video games. While it isn’t the next proper Pokémon generation, it still looks like the most ambitious title yet. This was originally announced before the Switch 2 came out so there were a lot of questions about what platforms it would come to, when, and whether or not it was somehow tied to Black and White. I’ll be your trainer and tell you everything you need to know about Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Release date
Pokémon Legends: Z-A will hit Nintendo consoles on October 16, 2025.
Platforms
Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be a cross-generational game, meaning it will be available on the Switch and Switch 2 consoles. It remains a Nintendo exclusive, though, so don’t expect this to show up on your PlayStation, Xbox, or PC.
Trailers
The reveal trailer for Pokémon Legends: Z-A is brief but does hide some secrets fans have sniffed out. The most obvious is that this game will take us back to Lumiose City, first featured in X and Y. Later, Nintendo clarified that the game will not only be focused on this city but set entirely within it. As to who we are and what we’re doing in the city is still unknown. Fans speculate that the digital and futuristic style of the trailer is hinting at the game being set in the future, contrasting how Arceus was set in the past, but this is all just theorizing.
We had to wait an entire year until Pokémon day 2025 for a second look at Pokémon Legends: Z-A. This new trailer showed off our first look at the game in action in Lumiose City. The city is currently undergoing an urban redevelopment project to better suit humans and Pokémon coexisting.
The story begins with your character visiting the city and staying at Hotel Z, which will act as your main base. You will choose from either Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile as your starter and meet your ally, either Urbain or Taunie, depending on what gender you pick for your trainer. Other characters we see include AZ, the hotel owner, Jett, the CEO og Quasartico inc., and Vinnie who works as Jett’s secretary.
This game’s Legendary is Zygarde, a Dragon/Ground Type.
Not long after Pokémon day, Pokémon Legends: Z-A got another trailer during the March Nintendo Direct. The trailer starts by rehashing a lot of the info we got in the last trailer, but it does move on to give us some new stuff in the gameplay department.
Gameplay
Being set within a single city is quite a departure from the past Legends game, which introduced us to an open-world-style game. City does appear fully explorable, with the ability to go onto and across rooftops. There will be dedicated Wild Zones where Pokémon roam free for you to battle and catch.
Combat looks just like it did in Arceus, but there is are some key new differences here. One, of course, is mega evolutions that completely change your monster’s moves and power. What will be more important to keep in mind, though, is that moves all have ranges now. If you are too far from the enemy when selecting an attack, it can completely miss.
The main highlight from the last trailer is the dichotomy between how the city functions during the day, when people and Pokémon are friendly and casual, and at night. This is when the best trainers show up for the Z-A Royale tournament which adds new battle zones across the city. While inside a battle zone, any trainer that spots you will engage you in a battle. However, if you sneak up and attack an unaware opponent, then you will land a surprise attack and get an advantage in the fight. Your trainer will start at rank Z and work their way all the way up the alphabet to rank A, hence the title. The legend goes that anyone who makes it to the top will have a wish granted.
As far as multiplayer is concerned, we learned of a brand new mode during the 2025 Pokémon World Championships. Z-A Battle Club will support both Link and Ranked Battles for up to four players with the goal of knocking out as many of the other trainers’ Pokémon as possible within the 3-minute time limit.
In Ranked Battles, players will earn points that contribute to their overall ranking, going from Z to A. There will be in-game rewards dished out at the end of battles and when players rank up, plus final seasonal rewards based on how high of a rank you managed to achieve. No word on what those rewards will be, however.
For those who just want to have fun battling friends, Private Battles will allow you to host games with whoever you wish.
Preorder
Preorders are now available for Pokémon Legends: Z-A ahead of its October release date. You can preorder either the Switch or Switch 2 edition via the Pokémon Center website. There are physical and digital versions, but not special editions for now. However, you do get a few extra goodies if you preorder your copy now:
- Ralts holding a Gardevoirite Stone
- 100 Poké Balls (digital version only)
