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Pokémon Legends: Z-A revamps the franchise's battling style, focusing on timing and positioning like never before

The upcoming Pokémon game, Legends: Z-A is here to show you why it isn't like the games you grew up playing

A still from Pokémon Legends: Z-A — Image credit: Nintendo

News by Jules Chin Greene, Staff Writer

Published on Thu Feb 27 2025

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It's an expansive time for Nintendo right now. Hot off the tails of the Switch 2's announcement, Nintendo has given us our first look at the upcoming Pokémon game, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, ahead of its release later this year. Set in an area of the Kalos region called Lumiose City, Z-A is here to shake things up for the franchise, debuting elements that will change how you play the Pokémon games moving forward.

In the new trailer for the game, we get a taste of Lumiose City as a location, as well as how Pokémon and humans live alongside each other in an urban environment. You also see the game's three starter Pokémon, who are familiar faces to longtime players.

More importantly, the Pokémon Legends: Z-A trailer gives us a glimpse at the new style of combat coming to the franchise. Whereas previous Pokémon games depended on static, turn-based combat, in Z-A, you'll have the chance to dodge incoming attacks with your pocket monster. You'll also be able to use timing and positioning to shape the efficacy of your attacks in battle. This marks a more lateral approach to battling in Pokémon games, and is a frontier that's been largely unexplored in the franchise until now.

Previously, 2022's Legends: Arceus switched up the turn order in Pokémon games with its Strong and Agile moves, meshing with its open-world design. It added a more stressful element to combat, and signaled to fans that big changes were on the horizon for Pokémon. Now that Z-A is nearly here, we can see the fruits of Nintendo and Game Freak's labors. One thing can be certain: it's a new day for the Pokémon franchise.

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer:

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Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, and Multiverse of Color.