Pokémon Legends Z-A, the much-anticipated sequel to 2022's Pokémon Legends: Arceus and the first new full-scale Pokémon game since late 2022’s Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, finally has an official release date. It’s due to be with us on October 16, with pre-orders starting as early as June 5.
Coming to both the original Switch and the Switch 2, the new game from Game Freak will offer an upgraded version for the newer Nintendo console, which will boast a higher resolution and improved framerates. However, this will come at the cost of an upgrade fee—likely $10, based on the Japanese announcement of 1,000 yen.
Z-A, set exclusively in Lumiose City within the Kalos region, is essentially a follow-up to 2013's Pokémon X and Y, while also the second in the Legends franchise. Which is to say, it will play differently from the mainline series, especially when it comes to combat. Z-A will use real-time fighting between your Pokémon, rather than the traditional turn-based battles, and will include Mega Evolution as a core mechanic. It also looks unlikely to have the same open feel as Legends: Arceus, given the game is entirely set in one city.
In Lumoise City, Pokémon co-exist with humans, rather than being considered pets/captives. The city—originally based on Paris—is undergoing urban redevelopment by a company called Quasartico, which appears to be a pivotal aspect of the as-yet undetailed story. What we do know, however, is that play will be split into day and night. During the day, you’ll explore, chat with the locals, and progress through the story. During the night, the local Wild Zones become Battle Zones, where you take part in the Z-A Battle, attempting to climb your way up through the ranks from, well, Z to A. Here you’ll battle other trainers in real-time combat with your current collection of Poké pals.
If you’re not planning to upgrade your Switch just yet, don’t worry. Z-A seems to have been primarily developed for the original hybrid console, with the Switch 2 upgraded version tweaking things to run more smoothly with the extra horsepower. We don’t have prices yet, although given pre-ordering starts as soon as next week, we don’t have long to wait. $60 for the Switch version and $70 for the Switch 2 seems extremely likely, however.
It’s interesting that Z-A is releasing in the slot we’d usually expect to see a new mainline game in the Pokémon franchise. It likely speaks well of Game Freak, which was clearly overworked in its efforts to release two full-size games in 2022—hopefully the developers will be given more time and space to work on these projects from here on out.
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