It’s a good day for Pokemon fans, as today’s Pokemon Presents brought amazing news that gives fans something to look forward to in 2025.
Titled Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the new addition to the ever-loved franchise will be making it to store shelves in around a year. The game will revisit a familiar city that many old-school fans will recognize—Lumiose City.
What Do We Know About Pokemon Legends: Z-A?
The latest title in the franchise, Pokemon Legends: Z-A was announced in today’s Pokemon Presents showcase. Over 10 years later, players are returning to Lumiose City, where Pokemon X and Y took place.
While the trailer doesn’t feature actual in-game footage, we’re given an interesting teaser that slightly hints at the premise of the new game. We see the words “Urban development plan,” followed by the phrase, “A vision of beautiful coexistence between people and Pokemon.”
According to the description in the YouTube video,
A new adventure awaits within Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is under way to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon.
The story will expand on the lore revealed in X and Y and delve more into the history (or future!) Kalos region. Fans are torn on this aspect, unsure of what direction the game could be going in.
The teaser suggests a futuristic Lumiose City, but an X user proposed a theory where the player would explore its past to witness the construction of the updated look.
seeing lots of people mistakenly think Pokemon Legends Z-A will take place in future Kalos. This futuristic view is of what Kalos already looks like in X and Y. It's a blueprint for what exists today.
In short, we'll be in the past building Lumiose City into what it is today pic.twitter.com/LdQYodj5gt
— MandJTV (@MandJTV_Michael) February 27, 2024
And speaking of X and Y, one of the most exciting features of the game was teased right at the very end—Mega Evolutions.
Mega Evolutions was a mechanic introduced in X and Y, used in GO and Masters EX. By making a team member hold a Mega Stone for their species, they could temporarily evolve in a battle to be a ‘Mega’ version of themselves—like Mega Altaria or Mega Ampharos.
As the second title in the Legends series, Z-A follows Game Freak’s first venture into the open-world action RPG genre for Pokemon. Despite mixed reviews citing performance issues, bugs, and a unique visual style, Arceus received overall favorable feedback, leaving an impression on players.
Legends: Z-A could be a major step-up—the ball is in Game Freak’s court, and we can only hope it learned something from Z-A’s predecessor.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Could Possibly Be a Switch 2 Release
The game is currently being worked on and will be released simultaneously worldwide in 2025. Coincidentally, the latest Switch leaks hint at a 2025 release for the console.
This could mean that Legends: Z-A is a launch title for the Switch 2 or could be coming out soon after the console’s release. Either way, 2025 is certainly going to be a busy year for fans of the franchise.
What are your wishes for Pokemon Legends: Z-A? What do you hope it does differently from Arceus? We encourage you to discuss your thoughts in the comments below!
