Pokémon Legends: Z-A release window and gameplay revealed
During today's Pokémon Presents, new gameplay and a release window were revealed for the next mainline game: Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Today is Pokémon Day, to be exact it is the 29th anniversary of the first Pokémon video games being released. Announcements today were covered in a twenty-minute livestream on the Official Pokémon YouTube Channel. More information was shared up the many active Pokémon games, like Pokémon GO, Pokémon Unite, and Pokémon TCG Pocket, which introduces a new mini set of cards tomorrow, and will bring back Mega Pokémon. But it also shared information about the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, including that the game is planned for a late 2025 release. Unfortunately, nothing more specific than that, but we did also get a first look at gameplay.
Pokémon Presents reveals a late 2025 release window and more for Pokémon Legends: Z-A
The update for Legends: Z-A was revealed at the end of the Pokémon Presents presentation. A short new video finally revealed gameplay of the second entry in the Legends series. The game will take place in Lumiose City, the major city from the Pokémon X and Y games meant to resemble Paris with an Eiffel Tower-like structure and everything. According to the presentation, the city is undergoing a “high-tech urban redevelopment plan” that will help people and Pokémon live side-by-side. There is an organization behind these proposed changes, Quasartico Inc., and they are already giving evil team vibes.
Much like Pokémon Legends: Arceus, players will be able to choose from three starter Pokémon known from previous games. This time, the options include two Johto starters: Chikorita and Totodile, as well as Tepig, the fire-starter from Unova. It’s possible that these three Pokémon will receive new versions of their final evolutions, or since Mega Evolution is returning in this game, they could receive new Mega Evolutions instead.
The trainer was shown in the reveal avoiding attacks from wild Pokémon, a feature original to Legends: Arceus where trainers could take damage from Pokémon attacks. As for the urban setting, it appears that part of the urban redevelopment plan includes Wild Zones where wild Pokémon can roam freely. One key detail that went unannounced, was that trainers appear to be able to capture wild Pokémon even if they are reduced to zero health. A few wild Pokémon were shown entering a dazed state, stars circling above their head, after their health bar was completely reduced. One moment of gameplay showed this happening to a wild Flaaffy that was then captured in a Pokéball. This could be a major change for the series. In previous games, whenever a wild Pokémon is reduced to zero health, they essentially vanish, meaning that in the past, trainers needed to be careful not to KO a target they mean to capture.
Perhaps the most notable reveal was a brand-new battle mechanic. Rather than the usual turn-based, stationary battles the series has had up to this point, battles now give Pokémon the ability to move about the battlefield in real-time. This is a complete shift from how Pokémon battles have worked for the last 29 years, at least in the mainline games. It’s still not perfectly clear exactly how this will work, but from the video it appears that trainer and Pokémon move together, and players will use the four buttons, A, B, X, and Y to choose the Pokémon’s moves. From the narration: “Moves can have a longer or shorter reach. Or have different areas of effect, so choose your timing and positioning carefully to gain the upper hand.”
The character AZ, an unusually tall person with a unique Floette, who played a small role in the original Pokémon X and Y games, will return as a primary NPC. It’s not totally clear based on this new video, but from Pokémon’s website, he is the owner of Hotel Z, which may serve as a sort of home base for the game. AZ might serve as the professor-like figure for the game.
That was about all that was revealed in this new video. No new Pokémon were shown or new mega evolutions. The video did end with a mysterious clip hinting at a “promotional match” being held at the Prism Tower at the center of the city, but it’s not clear what this meant. Chances are there will be more information revealed sometime in the future at another Pokémon Presents, but at least Pokémon Legends: Z-A is still confirmed to launch later this year.
