Pokémon Legends: Z-A Release Date Locked for October 16 – Here’s What’s Coming

Mark your calendars: Pokémon Legends: Z-A is officially launching on October 16, 2025. The news dropped via a press release and was followed up with confirmation of a new Pokémon Presents livestream scheduled for July 22. It’s a rare October release for the franchise and one that brings back a long-absent fan favourite: Mega Evolutions.

If you’ve been waiting for another big shift in the Pokémon formula after Legends: Arceus, this might be it. Z-A is set in a redesigned Lumiose City and brings us back to the Kalos region, a fan-favourite setting that hasn’t had much love since X and Y launched in 2013. With Switch 2 support, upgraded visuals, and modern mechanics, Game Freak is betting big on this one.

Pokémon Is Still the King of Handheld RPGs

Whether it’s your first Pokémon game or your fifteenth, there’s no denying how dominant this franchise still is. From Red and Blue to Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon remains Nintendo’s biggest global IP and one of gaming’s few cultural constants. Even when fans rage over technical issues or underwhelming changes, sales keep climbing. Scarlet and Violet sold over 24 million copies, despite a messy performance.

So what’s different this time? Well, Z-A isn't a mainline Gen 10 entry, but it’s also not just a spin-off. Like Legends: Arceus, it carves out a new gameplay space with semi-open zones, narrative depth, and experimental mechanics. But this time, we’re not in ancient Sinnoh. We're going future-forward in Kalos.

The last time Mega Evolutions were relevant was 2016’s Sun and Moon, and even there, they were back-benched. Seven years later, they're finally making a full return. Fans have been begging for this mechanic to return, and Game Freak seems to have listened—Z-A is leaning into that nostalgia.

Switch 2 Is In the Mix

While Z-A is launching on the current Switch, the press release makes one thing clear: the Switch 2 version is real. Not only that, but it will come with "improved graphics and frame rates," and you’ll be able to upgrade your copy via an official "upgrade pack."

That means the Switch 2 is launching on June 5, and Z-A is now one of the first major RPGs confirmed for Nintendo’s new hardware. The release is timed to take advantage of the early adopter window, but without locking out people who don’t upgrade on day one.

Pre-orders go live on June 5 as well, both for physical and digital editions. And while Nintendo hasn't shown full gameplay yet, a major trailer drop is all but guaranteed during the July 22 Pokémon Presents stream.

Digital and physical copies of the game can be upgraded to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition via an upgrade pack.

This is the most direct confirmation yet that Z-A is a cross-gen title—and one that will look and play better on Switch 2.

Pokémon’s Greatest Hits – A Franchise Timeline

To put Z-A in context, here’s a look at the most iconic Pokémon games and what made each one a milestone:

With Pokémon Presents now set for July 22, the next big content dump is just two months away. Expect a full gameplay trailer, a closer look at returning Pokémon, and more details on the ranking system hinted at in earlier teasers. There’s also talk about multiplayer being more integrated this time around, though that hasn’t been confirmed yet.

What we do know is that this isn’t a filler title. It’s a deliberate play by The Pokémon Company to build a second pillar alongside the core mainline series. If Z-A hits like Legends: Arceus did, we might see a full Legends sub-series become part of the standard Pokémon cycle.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A has a lot riding on it. It’s returning to one of the most underutilised regions in the franchise, resurrecting a long-dead feature, and dropping right at the start of a new console era. Whether you’re here for Mega Charizard or to explore Kalos in modern 3D, October 16 is now the next major date in Pokémon history.

With the Switch 2 looming and the July stream promising answers, Z-A is shaping up to be the most ambitious Pokémon game in years. Let’s see if it lives up to it.