During the closing ceremonies of the 2025 Pokemon World Championships, it was revealed that the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A will have a four-player battle mode called the Z-A Battle Club. In this new format, up to four Pokemon Legends: Z-A players will have three minutes to knock out as many opposing Pokemon as possible, and utilizing Mega Evolution will be a key to victory.

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Unlike past mainline Pokemon games, Pokemon Legends: Z-A foregoes the turn-based battle format in favor of real-time battles that allow various moves to be used with short cooldown timers. This experimental battle style will also be a focal point of Pokemon Legends: Z-A's main story, as the Z-A Battle Royale will serve a similar role to the Pokemon Gyms of other games. Mega Evolution will also make its return in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, as both past Mega forms and new variants, like Mega Dragonite, have been confirmed to appear in the upcoming title.

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Pokemon Legends: Z-A Map Revealed

Footage of the Pokemon Legends: Z-A demo reveals some details about the game's map, including size comparisons and a layout of Lumiose City.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Reveals Four-Player Battle Club

While some details about Pokemon Legends: Z-A are being kept under wraps, The Pokemon Company gave trainers a glimpse at a new battle mode. At the closing ceremonies of the 2025 Pokémon World Championships, The Pokemon Company's CEO and president, Tsunekazu Ishihara, revealed a new, four-player game mode called the Z-A Battle Club. This online-focused format will pit up to four trainers in a three-minute battle where every player fights for themselves. A short trailer from the Switch 2 Edition of Pokemon Legends: Z-A demonstrated the premise of the Z-A Battle Club and showed how chaotic this new battle format can become. After knocking out a Pokemon, the trainer who dealt the finishing blow is awarded a point. Simply put, the trainer who defeats the most Pokemon within the three-minute time limit is the winner.

However, Pokemon Legends: Z-A players can freely swap out their Pokemon during a Z-A Club Battle, giving them a chance to counterattack and mix up their tactics. Mega Evolution will also be a key factor in deciding the outcomes of Z-A Battle Club matches. Powerful Pokemon like Mega Ampharos and Mega Dragonite can use moves to either focus on a single Pokemon or target all Pokemon within a certain range. Knocking out multiple Pokemon with a single move also awards points, so players can plan out when to Mega Evolve and go on the offensive.

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An active Nintendo Switch Online membership will be required to participate in the Z-A Battle Club. With Pokemon Legends: Z-A reintroducing older game mechanics and experimenting with new battle modes, the upcoming title will have something for both seasoned and upcoming trainers.

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Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
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Released
October 16, 2025
ESRB
Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
Developer(s)
Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
Publisher(s)
Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
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Pokemon Legends Z-A Press Image 1
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
RPG, Adventure