New Details from Pokémon Legends: Z-A Demo
At a special event held as part of the Pokémon World Championships 2025, the first playable demo for Pokémon Legends: Z-A was released. The approximately 20-minute experience revealed numerous new details, from Mega Evolution to battle mechanics. Following the success of the previous game in the series, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, all eyes are now on Z-A, which launches on October 16th.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Demo Reveals New Features
According to reports from players attending the event, Pokémon Legends: Z-A features a very large Lumiose City map. The city is divided into 10 regions, at least six of which are designated Wild Areas. The game also features nine Pokémon Centers. As the game is still in development, some changes to these regions are expected. The menu design allows players to manage TM moves and learned moves from a single screen. This is consistent with previous leaks.
Significant changes are also noticeable in the battle mechanics. Moves now have individual cooldowns, and powerful attacks require longer cooldowns. When using items, the game pauses and then begins a 10-second cooldown. The experience point system has also been updated; all team members receive a share, while the Pokémon that deals the finishing blow receives an additional reward. Stealth attacks also grant a “First Strike” bonus.
The second part of the demo introduces Rogue Mega Pokémon. Players can only deal significant damage to these creatures with Mega Evolutioned Pokémon. Mega Evolution requires a special energy bar to be filled, which is achieved by collecting orbs dropped during battle. An interesting new feature is that Mega Evolution is timed; this form, which lasts one minute, can be extended by collecting additional orbs.
Players who defeat Rogue enemies are awarded the Mega Stone for the corresponding Pokémon. This demonstrates that Mega Evolution will not only be a mechanic throughout the game but will also play a critical role in the story. All these innovations prove that Pokémon Legends: Z-A will not only return to the roots of the series, but also aim to add long-term depth to the series.
Read More: Players Are Tired of The First Descendant’s Commercials
