Pokemon Legends: Z-A Gets Release Date, New Mega and Rogue Mega Evolutions

CNET

6 days ago

Mega evolutions are back in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but the new game is also introducing some twists on the battle gimmick that first appeared in the X and Y games.
We got a sampling of new info about the upcoming game in a Pokemon Presents video, which walked us through a few different features of the game. Mega evolution, which allows you to temporarily evolve certain Pokémon if they're equipped with a corresponding stone, is coming back in Legends: Z-A. But we're also getting new twists on this mechanic from Gen 6.
Here's what we've learned about the game so far.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A release date
Legends: Z-A will be available Thursday, Oct. 16 on Switch and Switch 2.
Z-A adds new mega evolutions and rogue mega evolutions
Mega evolutions were a focal point of the X and Y story, and a big part of the competitive scene until Gen 7 came out. X and Y introduced 28 mega evolutions, with another 20 coming in the Gen 3 remakes, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Mega evolution allows you to give even fully evolved Pokemon a temporary stat boost, a new ability and sometimes even a type change.
Legends: Z-A is adding to the list of megas, prominently featuring the new Mega Dragonite in the trailer. No details yet on whether Mega Dragonite has a change in type or what its new ability is, but I would guess it has something to do with the eight different wings all over its body.
The Pokemon Company/Screenshot by Adam Benjamin
The other big change with mega evolution is the addition of rogue mega evolutions -- wild Pokemon that are able to mega evolve on their own. It's an interesting change from the Gen 6 games, where mega evolutions were only encountered in battles against gym leaders and similarly powerful trainers.
Legends: Z-A brings back Lumiose City's fashion scene, detective work
In Pokemon X and Y, trainers could shop at various cities to customize their attire, from hats and hoodies to socks, shoes and skirts. You could also change your hairstyle by visiting salons. That kind of customization is back in Legends: Z-A, as the trailer showed its trainer in a variety of styles from sporty to chic.
Sign me up for new styles in different Lumiose districts.
The Pokemon Company/Screenshot by Adam Benjamin
Part of X and Y's postgame content was the Looker Detective Agency, where players could help a Lumiose City detective investigate some mysteries. Players will get to work with Emma, "the best detective in Lumiose," and seemingly the grown-up version of a child who featured prominently in the Looker Bureau missions in X and Y.
Detective Emma on the case.
The Pokemon Company/Screenshot by Adam Benjamin
Detective work in Legends Z-A appears to be a system for accepting quests from people around the city who need help with their problems, like trash Pokemon hanging out on restaurant tables outside.
Other Pokemon stables return, like a Pokemon researcher, Mable, who needs you to catch Pokemon to help with her research, and a shady criminal organization -- in this case, Corbeau and his Rust Syndicate.
Overall, Legends Z-A seems to be leaning into the city life of Lumiose, which could be a fun flavor for the game. But more than anything else, I hope we'll see more new mega evolutions and other expansions to returning mechanics.
Bonus: New Pokemon Champions info
Today's Pokemon Presents also gave us some new details on Pokemon Champions, the upcoming battle-focused game that will be available on both Switch and mobile devices. The game seems to be pretty exclusively a battle simulator, and we've now learned that it allows you to pull in your teams from Pokemon Home or recruit new Pokemon either temporarily (for free) or permanently, using in-game currency.
Try out Pokemon for a week for free, or recruit them permanently for a cost.
The Pokemon Company/Screenshot by Adam Benjamin
You can also train your Pokemon within Champions, allowing you to adjust competitive-focused stats like individual values and effort values -- which affect stat numbers -- and natures -- which boost one stat and lower another. The Pokemon games have made a lot of changes to make training easier and less time-consuming, and this appears to be another step in that direction, though I have several questions about the in-game currency and how players can earn it.
The trailer showed moving stat points from one stat to another, at a cost.
The Pokemon Company/Screenshot by Adam Benjamin
Pokemon Champions will be available sometime next year, with no precise release date set. I wonder if this will be an attempt to split the competitive scene from the mainline games, making it easier for people to collect and train them for competition, and removing the pressure of robust competitive systems from the mainline games. We'll find out whenever we get info about Gen 10.