'Pokémon Legends: Z-A': Everything you need to know before release

Read our full review of Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

We've not been back to Kalos in over a decade. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I took a break in the Black and White era for various life reasons, but Pokémon X and Y threw me right back in thanks to the first true 3D Pokémon experience.

Fast-forward to 2025 and Mega Evolutions returns in Pokémon Legends: Z-A for Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, and the hype for the games and trading card game couldn't be any higher. If you want to see what the new era of Pokémon TCG looks like with Mega Evolution, my full review gives you just that and some deck building ideas.

Do you need to know global release times for Legends: Z-A? Maybe you've been living under a rock and are only just finding out about the latest Pokémon game and need more information? Let's get into it.

Legends: Z-A leaks and spoilers are in the wild

Pokémon Legends: Z-A officially leaked and was datamined on Oct. 12, just days before release. There's all kind of information out there, but we won't be sharing or leaking anything here. It looks like the leaks have come from a physical copy of the Switch 1 version that was sold early by a retailer.

It's a good idea to take some precautions if you're looking to have a surprise or 12 on release day. I'd recommend going onto your social media accounts such as X, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and the like and muting "Pokémon Legends Z-A", "Pokémon", "Mega Evolution", and "Mega" if you don't wish to see anything early.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A global release dates and times

Nintendo has confirmed that Pokémon Legends: Z-A will follow the usual regional rollout at 12 a.m. local time in most regions. In North America, however, the game launches based on ET, meaning players on the West Coast can start early on Oct. 15. Here's the full schedule for those who have pre-ordered the game digitally. For physical copies, most retailers deliver the day before or on release day:

Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

• 9 p.m. PDT — San Francisco

• 11 p.m. CST — Mexico City

Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025

• 12 a.m. EDT — New York

• 12 a.m. BRT — São Paulo

• 12 a.m. BST — London

• 12 a.m. CEST — Paris, Rome, Berlin

• 12 a.m. EEST — Istanbul

• 12 a.m. UTC+5:30 — New Delhi

• 12 a.m. ICT — Hanoi

• 12 a.m. HKT — Hong Kong

• 12 a.m. CST — Beijing

• 12 a.m. JST — Tokyo

• 12 a.m. AEST — Sydney

No matter where you live, the wait will end at midnight on Oct. 16 or a few hours earlier if you’re in the U.S. The official line is a release date of Oct. 15, 2025 on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A preload information and file size

Digital preloads have already gone live via Nintendo eShop, with trainers needing 4.1GB of free space on Nintendo Switch 1 and 7.7GB for Switch 2, although this may increase if there's a day one patch for whatever reason. We're also not sure about the file size for the Mega Dimension DLC, which will release at a later date this year.

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Credit: Mashable / The Pokémon Company

Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Physical Edition

$69.99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

• Switch 2 + Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundle and digital code — $499.99

• Pokémon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Digital Edition — $69.99

• Pokémon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 1 Physical Edition — $59.99

• Pokémon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 1 Digital Edition — $59.99