When Does Pokemon Legends: Z-A Launch? Release Times Revealed For Switch 2

When Does Pokemon Legends: Z-A Launch? Release Times Revealed For Switch 2

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is set for release on Thursday, October 16, but when exactly can you start playing? The global launch times for the upcoming Switch exclusive have now been posted.

The game launches on October 16 at midnight Eastern, which works out to 9 PM PT and 11 PM CST on Wednesday, October 15. You can see the full release times below, as posted by IGN.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A release times:

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

  • 9 PM PT
  • 11 PM CST

Thursday, October 16, 2025

  • 12 AM for everywhere else in the world

Preloading and preorder info

Preloading for Pokemon Legends: Z-A is now available for people who acquired a copy from the Nintendo eShop. According to Polygon, it requires 4GB of space on Switch 1 and 7.7GB of space on Switch 2. People who preorder also get some digital extras. Be sure to consult GameSpot’s Pokemon Legends: Z-A preorder guide to see all the preorder perks and find out which version is right for you.

What is Pokemon Legends: ZA?

As we reported previously, Pokemon Legends: ZA is a sequel to Pokemon Legends: Arceus and takes players back to Kalos, the setting of Gen 6’s Pokemon X and Y for 3DS. The bustling metropolitan setting of Lumiose City will offer a significant change of pace from rolling hills and wilderness in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Your first partner Pokemon will be either Chikorita, Totodile, or Tepig. The streamlined catching system from Arceus will return, so you won’t have to battle every wild Pokemon you encounter before lobbing a Poke Ball at them.

Z-A will also be a major departure in another way: the battle system. The traditional turn-based combat from Arceus and the mainline series will be replaced by a strategic real-time system. You and your partner Pokemon can move during combat encounters–though you’ll still be confined to a specific area. Positioning and timing will impact your success on the battlefield, both when attacking and defending incoming attacks by executing dodges.

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Pokémon Legends Z-A Everything To Know

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Along with the new and reworked elements, a familiar system will make its return after a long absence. Mega Evolutions, which last appeared in Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu and Eevee in 2018, will temporarily turn your partner Pokemon into a super powerful version of itself. Mega Evolutions also alter the appearance of your Pokemon, but only certain species have Mega Evolutions, and you’ll need a Mega Ring and a Pokemon-specific Mega Stone to activate it.

The game will get its first expansion, Mega Dimension, in February 2026.

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