Pokémon Legends Z-A makes a surprise appearance at Nintendo Direct, offering a glimpse into its thrilling nighttime Z-A Royale event, with a release still set for late 2025.

Pokemon Legends Z-A has been shown off during today’s Nintendo Direct, showing off some more antics in its Lumiose City and re-emphasising the late 2025 release window it got earlier this year.

The gameplay video gave us a look at wild Pokemon popping up in places outside of the game’s designated zones, such as atop buildings because they’re clearly not afraid of heights and I assume want to harken back to the days of people getting into places they probably shouldn’t in real-life to catch a Diglett during the Pokemon Go craze.

The big draw, though, was more info on the mysterious Z-A Royale tournament that kicks off after darkness falls on the city, with a bunch of trainers taking the streets at night to take part in a competition that sees you fight from rank Z to rank A.

The night battles sound a lot more intense than the daytime ones, with the option to surprise your foes when you initiate a scrap and them seeming to be much more likely to engage as soon as they spot you.

What do you think of Pokemon Legends Z-A so far? Let us know below!

You can also consult our huge array of helpful Pokemon TCG Pocket guides for expert advice on things like how trading works in its current form and assembling decks based around ex Pokemon ranging from Cresselia to Yanmega.