New Pokemon Legends: Z-A Trailer Reveals Its Big Twist On Gameplay

The next entry in the Pokemon series, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, finally has a new trailer showcasing its core gameplay mechanic: the Z-A Royale.

Revealed during March 27's Nintendo Direct, Pokemon Legends: Z-A new gameplay twist takes place after the sun sets upon Lumiose City. Though the urban sprawl might be peaceful by day, at night the city takes on a different aura as highly skilled trainers wander the streets eager to battle and rank up in the Z-A Royale.

As a Lumoise City newcomer, your trainer will enter the tournament at Rank Z and be forced to duke it out at night in order to become Rank A. Though the trailer didn't reveal everything that comes with earning this coveted title, it did share that trainers who reach the top are "said to have a wish granted."

Like Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Wild Zones, these dusk-'til-dawn duels will be contained to designated areas called Battle Zones, which will be indicated by red, holographic borders. Once your trainer steps foot in these areas, other trainers will be eager to challenge them, making timing and the way you approach certain opponents critical to success.

The French-inspired Lumiose City, which serves as the Kalos region's main hub, will be familiar to those who played Pokemon X and Y. However, Legends Z-A further realizes the location by greatly expanding it and adding in plenty of new characters, new locations, and wild Pokemon. Players will be able to battle and capture these wild Pokemon regardless of if they are tucked away in one of the city's Wild Zones or lurking up on the rooftops.

Pokemon: Legends Z-A is the second entry in the Pokemon: Legends spin-off. While the mainline Pokemon series sees players traverse an entire region, battling gym leaders to earn the title of Pokemon Master, the Legends series confines players to a more fully-realized version of a particular location. In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, players traveled back in time to the settlement of the Sinnoh region. In GameSpot's Pokemon Legends: Arceus review, we wrote that the game is a "significant reimagining of what makes a Pokemon game, with an exciting level of flexibility."

According to the game's press release, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is currently scheduled to launch on the "Nintendo Switch family of systems" in late 2025. Though additional information on Pokemon Legends: Z-A is scarce, those eager to learn more can check out our overview of the game's three starter Pokemon.