There are several big changes coming with Pokémon Legends: Z-A, but there’s one in particular that has me extremely excited, especially after spending thousands of hours with the franchise. The next core game in the series will take you back to Lumiose City, in the Kalos region. You’ll also see the return of the Mega Evolution mechanic, including brand-new Mega Evolutions, like Mega Hawlucha in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
In many ways, the game will be a throwback to the Generation 6 games, Pokémon X and Y, but it will also have new features, many of which are inspired by more recent entries in the series. Legends: Arceus’ Noble Pokémon, for example, are being replaced by Rogue Mega Pokémon in Legends: Z-A. They should operate in a similar way, but they’ll have unique battle mechanics, too.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s Battle System Will Change Drastically
The Game May Remove Accuracy & Evasiveness
Perhaps one of the biggest changes to occur will be the series of modifications to the battle system in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, especially when you analyze it from the perspective of the entire franchise. Unlike any of the core games before it, the upcoming game will remove PP from moves entirely, allowing you to use a move indefinitely. Instead, the usage of moves will be dictated by cooldown timers.
In addition to that, Pokémon will not be static while battling on the field. In Legends: Z-A, you’ll be able to control your Pokémon’s position on the battlefield, allowing them to dodge moves and choose where to attack in real-time. This, in turn, should result in the end of the Accuracy and Evasiveness stats, at least for this game, as you’ll be responsible for targeting and avoiding attacks.
I’m Excited For Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s Revamped Battle System
Real-Time Elements Change The Classic Battle System
This may be a controversial change, especially from a competitive standpoint, where stats are the most important aspects of your build. However, I’m pleased about this groundbreaking change to the combat system in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Even though the essence of battles will pretty much remain the same, it will give more real-time value to how you battle and make decisions on the field.
With the changes, I expect the battles to feel more dynamic, and you’ll be required to do a lot more reactive thinking rather than solely preemptive planning. While Gen 9 has stood out with the introduction of a truly open-world map in Scarlet and Violet, based on the open-world areas of Gen 8’s Legends: Arceus, this revamped interpretation of the combat system planned for Legends: Z-A may be the most innovative feature in decades.
The core games in the franchise have been strictly turn-based, even with the more modern games featuring the Let’s Go! mechanic. In Legends: Arceus and Scarlet and Violet, upon starting a battle, you’d be drawn into the classic turn-based system that has always been present. Surely, Legends: Arceus has the Agile and Strong Styles mechanic, as well as some significant changes to stats.
Meanwhile, Scarlet and Violet features the Terastal phenomenon, which allows you to transform any of your Pokémon. Even so, I see the new real-time elements applied to battles as the most significant one in years, as it is highly disruptive from the original Pokémon formula, offering a breath of fresh air, while still retaining that great turn-based feeling we’ve grown accustomed to.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A May Not Set The Standard For Gen 10
The Battle Changes May Not Be Added To The Next Games
As excited as I am for the new version of battles that will arrive with the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, I’m not convinced it will become a staple within the core games in the series, and, therefore, I don’t believe we’ll see it in Gen 10 games. As was mentioned, this is a big and disruptive change to the formula, and I don’t think Nintendo will hold onto it for future games.
Precise stat-building plays a huge role in the competitive scene, and it feels too drastic to see PP, Accuracy, and Evasiveness removed all at once from the core games moving forward. I’d love to see the next games in the series retain its new open-world approach, combined with the real-time elements of battles, but that may change Pokémon into something totally different, and Nintendo may not be ready to take that step.
As an example, the special stat changes that occurred in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which were a fantastic way of tackling level disparities between creatures during the campaign, weren’t something that was carried over to Gen 9’s Scarlet and Violet. In the same way, these new battle changes in Legends: Z-A will likely not make their way into Gen 10.
Of course, there’s a chance that the mechanics prove to be highly successful to the point that Nintendo has no choice but to implement them as a staple across the franchise moving forward. For now, it’s a bit too early to tell what the future of the series will look like compared to the upcoming game, but when I consider the battle changes in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, I find myself more excited than ever.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
- Released
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October 16, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
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Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- Engine
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Proprietary
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Prequel(s)
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Pokémon X, Pokémon Y
- Franchise
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Pokemon
- Number of Players
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1-4 players (online)
