Are you ready to catch them – and then Mega Evolve – again? Pokémon Legends: ZA is finally here, scheduled for release on October 16 for $59.99 for Nintendo Switch or $69.99 for Switch 2.
If you don’t already have a Switch 2 but think you might upgrade in the future (perhaps you’re waiting on a modern console for the holidays?), you can purchase the Switch 1 version of Pokémon Legends ZA right now, and when you’re ready, grab the Switch 2 Upgrade Pack for $9.99.
Last but not least, you can now purchase Pokémon Legends: ZA: Mega Dimension, a paid DLC that will add two modern Mega Evolutions for Raichu and fresh story content. Most of them won’t appear until after the game’s release, although purchasing now will immediately unlock additional costume items.
You can now pre-download Pokémon Legends: ZA via the Nintendo eShop, including the game’s day one update. You will need 4.1 GB of free space for the Nintendo Switch or 7.7 GB of free space for the Switch 2.
In the run-up to the game’s release, it’s worth being wary of spoilers – work on data analysis began after physical copies of the game were discovered. Indeed, IGN has received news of some brand modern Mega Pokémon included in the game – although we won’t reveal them here.
Taking place in Kalos, home of the Mega Pokémon mechanic, Pokémon Legends: ZA adds the first modern batch of super-powered creatures to the series’ Mega Pokédex in over a decade, although no entirely modern Pokémon species are expected. So far, The Pokémon Company has revealed just a handful of modern Mega Pokémon, which are expected to be the final list of fresh Mega species in the game. How many of them will appear in the final version of the game? You’ll just have to play and find out.
As with other Nintendo game releases, digital copies of Pokémon Legends: ZA are expected to be unlocked in your region as soon as 12:00 (midnight) strikes on Thursday, October 16.
However, in the US, previous Nintendo game launches have treated the entire country as a separate region, which means that players in time zones beyond Eastern Standard Time (i.e. Central, Mountain and Pacific Time) will be able to play behind schedule in the evening on Wednesday, October 15.
Pokémon Legends Global Release Dates: A:
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
PDT (San Francisco):
CST (Mexico):
Thursday, October 16, 2025
EDT (New York):
BRT (São Paulo):
BST (London):
CEST (Paris, Rome, Berlin):
For (Türkiye):
UTC (New Delhi):
ICT (Hanoi):
HKT (Hong Kong):
CST (Beijing):
Local government unit (Tokyo):
AEST (Sydna):
Ready to get started? IGN has guides to Pokémon Legends: ZA Characters and Starter Pokémon, the Mega Dimension DLC, all the modern Mega Pokémon in Legends ZA, and the full Pokedex (Pokémon List) so you can plan which creatures you’ll catch first.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s news editor. You can contact Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
