Credit: Rockstar Games, The Pokemon CompanyThe next mainline Pokémon game has been announced, and it looks like the new title will be taking specific inspiration from the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
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Happy Pokémon Day! Today marks the 28th anniversary of the first Pokémon game’s release in Japan. Since then, dozens of video games have been released, as well as an animated series, a trading card game, Pokémon Go (2016), the new stop motion series Pokémon Concierge (2023), theme park attractions, and more merchandise than you could count. It’s no wonder that Pokémon is the most popular media brand in the world.
In today’s Pokémon Presents, Pokémon Company International announced a brand new mainline game: Pokémon Legends Z-A (2025). A sequel to Pokémon Legends Arceus (2022), this new game looks to offer a unique experience unlike anything seen before, at least not in the world of Pokémon.
‘Pokemon Legends Z-A’ Takes Inspiration From Grand Theft Auto
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The Pokémon Presents on February 27, 2024, had plenty of exciting announcements, including the new mobile game Pokémon TCG Pocket (2024) and updates for Pokémon Go and Pokémon Masters EX (2019). However, the most exciting announcement was for the new Pokémon Legends game. This marks a massive shift from any Pokémon game that was released before it, which can be seen in the official description of the game:
“A new adventure awaits within Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon. Please look forward to seeing it for yourself.”
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This singular sentence completely separates Pokémon Legends Z-A from any other game before it. Unlike previous titles, which all took place in different regions with multiple towns and cities, Legends Z-A will take place in a single city, albeit one of the largest cities in the series. This was later confirmed by Nintendo of America via their X (formerly Twitter) account:
“Watch to see the reveal trailer for [Pokemon Legends Z-A], a new adventure set entirely within Lumiose City, coming to [Nintendo Switch] in 2025.”
Watch to see the reveal trailer for #PokemonLegendsZA, a new adventure set entirely within Lumiose City, coming to #NintendoSwitch in 2025. https://t.co/HHIlcwKvno
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 27, 2024
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This puts the new game more in line with open-world games like Grand Theft Auto III (2003), Batman Arkham City (2011), and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023) than it does with any Pokémon game before it. And given its 2025 release date, Game Freak will have plenty of time to turn it into something extraordinary.
The trailer also promises a return to something Pokémon fans have wanted to return for over seven years: mega evolution. The popular mechanic disappeared in favor of Dynamax in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield (2019) and Terastallization in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet (2022).
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