New Pokemon Legends: Z-A takes trainers back to Kalos in 2025
A Switch 2 release?
A new Pokemon game is coming to Switch, titled Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
Announced during today’s Pokemon Presents, little information on the Game Freak-developed title was shared, but we know it takes you back to the Kalos region with a focus on Lumiose City.
Calling it “an ambitious new entry” to the series, Pokemon Legends: Z-A will find you helping out with an urban redevelopment plan to shape Lumiose City into a place that “belongs to both people and Pokemon.” The video shown during the presentation “does not contain actual game footage,” according to The Pokemon Company, so the futuristic look shown in the video may not represent how the city or the game will be presented when finished.
Honestly, the outlines of buildings, objects, and roads don’t come off as futuristic to us, instead, we see blueprints draped in neon more than anything else. But what do we know? Absolutely nothing is what.
The Kalos region was introduced in 2013 with the release of Pokemon X and Y. It was the second-best-selling game for Nintendo 3DS behind Mario Kart 7 and shifted 16.7 million copies. It is the sixth generation of the main Pokemon video game series, it introduced 72 new Pokemon species, Fairy-types, and new features such as Mega Evolutions which return to the franchise with Legends: Z-A.
The trailer reveals Lumiose City retains its iconic circular layout, showcasing familiar landmarks like Prism Tower (a nod to the Eiffel Tower) and the Lumiose Art Museum (echoing the Louvre). While the Kalos region, inspired by France, may hold more secrets beyond Lumiose, whether exploration extends beyond the city limits in Legends: Z-A remains a mystery.
With the game making its way onto the scene in 2025, could it be a launch title for the rumored Switch 2? Whispers point to a March 2025 debut for the new console, but Nintendo loves to keep us guessing. While November might be the usual holiday shopping season champion, Nintendo marches to the beat of its own drum, having launched previous consoles in March, July, and September.
It’s also quite probable Legends: Z-A will be made available for the current Switch console, considering it has an install base of 139.4 million units.