COSM-GAME Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a premium action role-playing game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Players take on the role of a customizable Trainer newly arrived in Lumiose City, guided by a partner Pokémon and a companion, either Urbain or Taunie. The player's main goal is to explore Lumiose City, catch and train Pokémon in its wild zones, and climb from Rank Z to Rank A in the nightly Z-A Royale competition. For the first time in the mainline series, battles unfold in real time, letting Trainers and Pokémon move, dodge, and act simultaneously instead of taking turns.
Game summary
On this page
Latest update
The current version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A is Ver. 2.0.2, released March 19, 2026, which Nintendo's official support page describes only as fixing several issues without detailed patch notes. The preceding Ver. 2.0.1 update, released January 21, 2026, raised the maximum number of carryable Mega Shards from 999 to 9,999, allowed players to buy multiple Berries at once from food stalls, and resolved several bugs tied to the Mega Dimension DLC content.
Release date and status
Pokémon Legends: Z-A released worldwide on October 16, 2025, simultaneously on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 as the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. The Mega Dimension expansion followed on December 10, 2025, and Pokémon HOME connectivity was added afterward in 2026, letting players continue moving Pokémon in and out of the game after launch.
| Global release | Oct 16, 2025 |
| Platforms | |
| Global status | Released |
| Pricing model | Premium |
| Availability | Nintendo eShopNintendo eShop (Switch 2 Edition)Pokémon Center |
Platforms and availability
The game is supported on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition uses the same content as the standard release but adds improved resolution and frame rates, and owners of the Nintendo Switch version can move to it through a paid upgrade pack rather than buying the game again.
Gameplay and setting
Pokémon Legends: Z-A departs from the series' traditional turn-based structure with real-time battles, where Trainers and Pokémon move, dodge, and act simultaneously and move timing, reach, and area of effect all matter. Outside battle, players explore wild zones scattered through Lumiose City to catch and train Pokémon, then take part in the Z-A Royale, a nightly competition fought inside holo-bordered battle zones where climbing from Rank Z to Rank A can grant a wish. The story is set entirely within Lumiose City, a redeveloped version of the Kalos region metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, where players choose Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile as their first partner Pokémon and stay at Hotel Z as their home base.
Trailer, screenshots, and media
The featured trailer gives an overview of real-time battling and life in Lumiose City, while the gallery shows battle zones lit by holographic barriers, a Trainer being spotted mid-stealth, Z-A Royale rank progress, and the streets and hotel that make up the player's home base.
Developer and publisher
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo worldwide, with The Pokémon Company handling publishing duties in Japan. It is the second entry in the Pokémon Legends sub-series, following Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
| Developer | GAME FREAK |
| Publishers | NintendoThe Pokémon Company |
| Official website | Pokémon Legends: Z-A |
| Support | Pokémon Legends: Z-A Support |
Download and availability
Pokémon Legends: Z-A and its Nintendo Switch 2 Edition can be purchased digitally through the Nintendo eShop and My Nintendo Store, or bought physically at participating retailers including the Pokémon Center. The Mega Dimension DLC is sold separately through the same digital storefronts and requires the base game to play.
System / Device Requirements
Pokémon Legends: Z-A runs on fixed console hardware, with the platform-specific storage and connectivity requirements shown below.
| Nintendo Switch | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Supported hardware | Nintendo Switch |
| Storage | 4.0 GB |
| Online features | Nintendo Switch Online membership required (sold separately) |
- Requirement
- Nintendo Switch
- Requirement
- 4.0 GB
- Requirement
- Nintendo Switch Online membership required (sold separately)
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Supported hardware | Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Storage | 7.7 GB, including the mandatory day-one update |
| Online features | Nintendo Switch Online membership required (sold separately) |
- Requirement
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Requirement
- 7.7 GB, including the mandatory day-one update
- Requirement
- Nintendo Switch Online membership required (sold separately)