Summary
- Game Freak developer Haruka Tochigi has been confirmed to be the game director for Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
- Pokemon Legends: Z-A will feature new battle mechanics with move cooldowns and the ability to dodge attacks.
- The game is set in Lumiose City and will reintroduce Mega Evolution as a battle gimmick.
After accepting the 2024 Famitsu Dengeki Award for Most Anticipated Game of 2025, Game Freak developer Haruka Tochigi confirmed he is the game director of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Tochigi added that Pokemon Legends: Z-A was in the “final fine-tuning phase” of internal development, and thanked fans for their continued support and patience.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A will take players back to Lumiose City, in the heart of the Kalos region. Like its predecessor, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, players will explore various open zones to catch and battle wild Pokemon and other trainers throughout Lumiose’s streets and parks. Pokemon Legends: Z-A will also change how battles work, as Pokemon moves will be on short cooldowns and some attacks can be dodged with quick timing. Pokemon Legends: Z-A also heralds the return of Mega Evolution as a battle gimmick. How many new Mega Evolution forms will join the pre-existing roster remains to be seen.
Related
Pokemon Fan Designs Regional Variants for Legends: Z-A Starters
A talented artist devises regional variants for the starters of the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A, redesigning Meganium, Emboar, and Feraligatr.
While Pokemon Legends: Z-A remains in active development at Game Freak, the game’s director has confirmed their role in the project. After accepting the Most Anticipated Game of 2025 Award from Famitsu Dengeki, Tochigi thanked Pokemon fans for their support in a statement translated and shared by Twitter user Lewchube. Pokemon Legends: Z-A is Tochigi’s first game director project, having been with the franchise since Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire as the lead 3D map graphics designer. His most recent contribution was as the 3D Visual Section Director for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Game Director Is A First-Time Lead
Tochigi stated that Pokemon Legends: Z-A will incorporate new battle mechanics and use Lumiose’s environment to introduce different gameplay elements. Tochigi said that Pokemon Legends: Z-A is in the “final fine-tuning phase” of development, but stopped short of revealing a precise release date.
At the time of writing, Pokemon Legends: Z-A will arrive sometime in 2025. Along with having a first-time game director in charge, Pokemon Legends: Z-A will mark another first for the ongoing series. According to the game’s website, Pokemon Legends: Z-A will have an ESRB rating of Everyone 10+ (E10+) for Fantasy Violence, a step up from the usual Everyone (E) rating that the mainline series usually gets. Only time will tell how the story and the content of Pokemon Legends: Z-A will be presented to warrant the increased rating.
Between the faster pace of combat and the return of Mega Evolution, Pokemon Legends: Z-A remains one of Nintendo’s most-anticipated games of 2025. How Tochigi’s design choices will win players over remains to be seen.
