Pokemon Legends: Z-A is the latest core title to come from developer Game Freak, and being pretty different from the "main" generational turn-based games, a la Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, a lot of players might wonder how long it takes to beat. There aren't eight gym leaders to face off against and no Pokemon League/Elite Four to take down, but that doesn't mean there's less stuff to do and discover.

If you want to know how long it takes to roll credits in Pokemon Legends: Z-A (and how long it should take to complete everything there is fully), we'll go over it below in this guide.

If you're looking for Rare Candy, all the Colorful Screws, or just curious about anything else about Lumiose City, make sure to check out our interactive map for Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

pokemon legends z-a review bomb
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is Being Review Bombed

The recently released Pokemon Legends: Z-A is being review bombed, dragging down its user score significantly.

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How Long is Pokemon Legends ZA?

As Long as Legends: Arceus

Paxton reaches Rank Y - Pokemon Legends Z-A

For my personal playthrough of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, I managed to beat it and roll credits after about 20 hours. And for context, I did not explore every Wild Zone, and I only did a handful of Side Missions. I also skipped through dialogue as fast as I could and didn't spend extra time grinding or doing anything that would eat into my playtime. Because I'm covering the game for guide content, I wanted to speed through the story to see everything the game has to offer.

With that being said, the average player who spends time exploring and grinding a bit during their playthrough might spend upwards of 25-30 hours before they complete all main 38 story missions.

It's also worth noting that once you complete the game, there are a couple of post-game activities you can get into, such as hunting down the three Kalos legendaries, Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde. You can also compete in the Infinite Z-A Royale, which pits you against powerful trainers for bonus rewards. There's also the Colorful Screws you can collect all over the map to unlock and upgrade Canari plushes for advantages in and out of battle.

And on top of that, you can spend even more time trying to catch every Pokemon in the Kalos Pokedex and complete the 100+ side missions. Some of the quests are more in-depth than others, but they will take quite some time to finish them all.

For the Pokemon fanatic that plans to do everything there is to do in the post-game, you can easily spend 40-50 hours. Plus, there is a paid expansion coming out next year for Pokemon Legends: Z-A called Mega Dimension, which will add new Mega Evolutions, story content, and more. So that alone should give players at least 10–15 more hours of playtime.

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Pokemon Legends: Z-A
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RPG
Adventure
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Systems
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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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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
RPG, Adventure