Pokémon Legends: Z-A reveals first gameplay and confirms approximate release date

Today’s Pokémon Presents, February 27, 2025, brought great news for fans of the series. One of the most anticipated announcements was the new preview of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which showed off its gameplay for the first time and confirmed its release date on Nintendo Switch. Set entirely in Lumiose City, this new main title in the franchise promises to offer a unique experience in the iconic Kalos, with a proposal that focuses on the coexistence between humans and Pokémon in the style of Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

First official Pokémon Legends: Z-A Gameplay, New Features, and Release Date

The new trailer for Pokémon Legends: Z-A has provided the first glimpse of the game in motion, confirming that the adventure will take place entirely in Lumiose City, the heart of the Kalos region first seen in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. This preview showed detailed urban scenarios with a deeper level of exploration and interaction with Pokémon, reminiscent of the formula introduced in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. The graphics and visuals are reminiscent of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Scarlet, but with improved and smoother performance. The return of one of the most popular Sixth Generation mechanics has also been confirmed: Mega Evolutions, which will once again play a key role in the gameplay.

The trailer also revealed new details about the game’s setting and gameplay system. Unlike previous installments, Pokémon Legends: Z-A will focus on a narrative centered on the relationship between humans and Pokémon in an ever-evolving city, as opposed to the classic story of a novice trainer “conquering” a region and becoming a Pokémon master along the way. Players will be able to move freely through the various areas of Lumiose City, interacting with its inhabitants and discovering the secrets of the metropolis. Also shown were the capture and battle systems, which combine traditional elements of the saga with real-time mechanics to provide a fluid and dynamic experience, as seen in Scarlet and Violet.

The first Pokémon will be Totodile, Tepig and Chikorita, with a combination of starters from different generations, just as in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

As for its release, Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be available on Nintendo Switch by the end of 2025, a date that was confirmed during the presentation. In addition, thanks to Nintendo Switch 2’s native backwards compatibility, the game will also be available on the new console without the need for its creators to release a new version specifically for it.

With this new proposal from Game Freak, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is shaping up to be one of the last great games in the final stretch of the Switch before the arrival of its successor, and a natural evolution of the Pokémon Legends: Arceus formula by taking its gameplay to a vibrant urban environment. The idea of an open world in Lumiose City promises to be a fresh and alternative experience within the franchise, maintaining its core pillars of exploration and capture, but with a development and mechanics adapted to the setting: a large metropolis. With what was shown at this year’s Pokémon Presents, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has all the ingredients to become a must-have title for fans of the saga.

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