After a long wait, we've finally got our paws on a new Pokémon game in 2025. That's right, the next major entry in the iconic series is here at last, and we're here to tell you all about it.
Now that the Pokémon Legends: Z-A release date has arrived, we've got plenty of handy guides to help you out, including all the new Pokémon Legends: Z-A mystery gift codes, everything you need to know about the Pokémon Legends: Z-A Kalos starters, how to get and evolve Pokémon Legends: Z-A's Eevee, and more.
New Pokémon game release date
The new Pokémon game, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, released on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on October 16, 2025. This newest installment in the Legends series is a sequel to 2022's Pokémon Arceus, and is set to expand on the massive success of Arceus, taking us back to the Kalos region as we head to Lumiose City.
If you want to hear our thoughts before committing to a purchase, you can check out our 8/10 Pokémon Legends: Z-A review. We also have a video review below, where our hardware editor Connor Christie summarizes his thoughts on this new Pokémon game in a bite-sized format. You can also check out our guide to Pokémon Legends: Z-A DLC guide to see what future expansions are on the cards.
If you decide to purchase the original Switch version initially, you can also upgrade it later, as there's a Nintendo Switch 2 edition upgrade for Pokémon Legends: Z-A capable of taking full advantage of the handheld's drastically improved hardware.
Beyond Pokémon Legends: Z-A, there's also another new Pokémon game on the horizon called Pokémon Champions. Announced during the February 2025 Pokémon Presents, Pokémon Champions is a multiplayer game that focuses on "the battles you know and love from Pokémon games", and is set to arrive on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android sometime in 2026. Unfortunately, we don't have any further info on this game just yet, but we'll be sure to update this guide when we know more.
When is Pokémon Day 2026?
Like every year, Pokémon Day 2026 will take place on February 27. On this day, we usually see special events across all active Pokémon mobile games, as well as plenty of news and announcements for the coming year via streams and social media.
New Pokémon game gameplay
Pokémon Legends Z-A takes place in Lumiose City, the largest city in the Kalos region. It's full of stunning architecture and breathtaking views, but is currently undergoing a high-tech redevelopment plan to turn it into a place that people and Pokémon truly share. Like Legends Arceus, Pokémon Legends Z-A features a 3D 'open-world' city where you can run around and explore with your Pokémon, take on other trainers, and capture new Poképals among the quaint streets.
To help people and Pokémon coexist, Lumiose City also features 'Wild Zones', which give wild Pokémon habitats where they can thrive. You can enter these Wild Zones and capture Pokémon by tossing Pokéballs at them, though you may have to engage in a battle using one of your own Pokémon to weaken them first.
While it features a lot of familiar elements, Pokémon Legends Z-A actually features a whole-new style of Pokémon battling revolving around moves that have different ranges and areas of effect, meaning you need to choose your timing and positioning carefully to gain the upper hand in battle.
If you want to know more, you can check out an extended look at the Pokémon Legends Z-A gameplay in the video above.
That's all we've got on the new Pokémon games. While you're here, be sure to check out our full Pokédex to help you catch 'em all, then head on over to our list of all Pokémon games in order or browse through our picks for the best Pokémon games for even more Poké-fun.