5 major Pokemon Legends Z-A leaks we found in recent Game Freak data breach

Pokemon Legends Z-A is the biggest upcoming Game Freak title currently in development. Though the game is slated for a 2025 holiday release, the community still knows very little about it. However, a recent wave of leaks has led to many details about the title being public.

Due to the recent Game Freak data breach, we have learned a lot about Pokemon Legends Z-A — even though no official information has been released about this title since its initial reveal. With that in mind, here are five major details about the upcoming game we learned from the leaks.

Note: This article is based on leaks. Readers are advised to take the information presented here with a grain of salt.

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5 details about Pokemon Legends Z-A that surfaced from the Game Freak leaks

1) Delayed release date

Pokemon Legends Z-A was apparently set to release in 2024, but the game was delayed (Image via Game Freak)

The title's original release date was found in the leaks. The gap in major releases for 2024 is due to the fact that Z-A was originally set to release this year. The decision to delay the title was made before its initial reveal, likely in response to the overwhelmingly negative reception to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

This is also probably why more information about the game has yet to be released as well. Since the game was set to release in 2024, a good majority of the title was likely developed by the time it was announced. Despite this, the poor reception for the main series title that was released prior may have given Game Freak second thoughts about releasing any gameplay trailers.

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2) New Mega Evolutions

The leaker mentioned that there are at least two new Mega Evolutions in Pokemon Legends Z-A (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The leaker also mentioned two new Mega Evolutions that play a key role in Pokemon Legends Z-A's plot. Mega Zygarde is an obvious fit for the game, given how its name indicates some sort of tie to the Kalos Legendary Pokemon. However, Mega Zeraora being mentioned surprised many fans.

Zeraora is a Mythical Pokemon that saw a rather underwhelming release in the seventh generation. When the sixth generation released, many players took note of a sealed-off power plant on a desert route in Kalos. So, many fans theorize that this location may house the Mythical Pokemon in the upcoming title.

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3) Return of Shiny Alerts

Pokemon Legends Z-A will return the shiny spawning sound from Legends Arceus (Image via The Pokemon Company)

One of the many points of criticism against Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was the lack of a sound queue when a Shiny Pokemon spawned. While this was not a feature present in other mainline Pokemon games, it was present in Pokemon Legends Arceus, the game that was released months before Scarlet and Violet.

The leaker who recently had the chance to play through an early build of Pokemon Legends Z-A confirmed that the sound that plays whenever a Shiny Pokemon spawns in the overworld is returning. This is great news for fans who want to shiny hunt in the new game when it releases.

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4) Starter Pokemon

Leaks point to the Kalos starters returning in Pokemon Legends Z-A (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The leaker has also shared that the Starter Pokemon seen in the game are consistent with the Kalos starters seen in Pokemon X and Y: Froakie, Fennekin, and Chespin. However, they also noted that something might be different about them.

This detail could be hinting at regional evolutions for these creatures, similar to what was done with the starters' Hisuian forms in Pokemon Legends Arceus, but it is more likely that they will be receiving Mega Evolutions, considering how these starters are native to the Kalos region.

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5) New Ride Pokemon

More Ride Pokemon will be available to help players traverse the region (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Ride Pokemon will be returning in Pokemon Legends Z-A. This should not come as a surprise to long-time fans as Ride Pokemon have been present in the main series starting in the sixth generation. While sources differ on the exact Ride Pokemon players will be able to find in Legends Z-A, we may see some returning faces in the new title.

In the original Kalos region games, players could ride Pokemon like Rhyhorn and Mamoswine to traverse different types of terrain. With this in mind, we may likely see these two creatures return in some way as Ride Pokemon in Legends Z-A. Hopefully, more of these Ride Pokemon will surely be revealed potentially in a future trailer.