Highlights

  • Pokemon Legends Z-A in 2025 will likely blend Gen 6's Mega Evolutions with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire content for a fresh experience.
  • Pokemon Legends Z-A's logo hints at ties to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, with possible appearances by Zygarde, Xerneas, and Yveltal.
  • There will likely be Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Mega Evolutions, Primal Forms, Mirage Spots, and possibly even the Delta episode with Deoxys.

Pokemon Legends Z-A will be the new game in the long-running pocket monster series to launch in 2025, and it has some of the biggest decisions to make about what sort of gameplay loop to pursue, what to do with Mega Evolutions and regional forms, and what story to tell compared to other titles. This is because Pokemon Legends: Arceus was extremely successful, to the point that players still praise it for reinventing the Pokemon formula, and that alone raises the bar by quite a lot for the new Kalos-set title. Given the focus on Gen 6 and Mega Evolutions, it seems inevitable that Pokemon Legends Z-A features Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in some shape or form, and the clues may be front and center already.

Pokemon Legends Z-A may break a 28-year streak by releasing in 2025, marking the first time in the franchise's history that no new mainline games are released in the span of two consecutive years. If Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are anything to go by, it's very likely that the new title will not be afraid to break from tradition, and in a sense, it could be a direct "sequel" to all of Gen 6 games, including Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

pokemon legends z-a streak broken years no releases explained
Related
Pokemon is About To Break a 28-Year Streak

Pokemon as a franchise has been around since 1996, and now the latest announcements from Pokemon Day seem to suggest a big streak will be broken.

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire's Ties With Legends Z-A Explained

Pokemon Legends Z-A's Logo May Hint at Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Content

An interesting detail to note is that Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire emphasized the end and the beginning with the "omega vs. alpha" titles, as they are the last and the first letters in the Greek alphabet, respectively. Likewise, Pokemon Legends Z-A may feature Zygarde due to its "Z" components, but it has a connection to Gen 3 remakes due to Z being the last letter of the English alphabet, and A being the first. Not only that, but the dash between the two letters on the logo has blue shades near the Z and red shades near the A, mirroring the colors of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, but on opposite sides of where they would be based on their order.

This could be a reference to Xerneas and Yveltal, instead, as they are the mascot Legendary Pokemon for Gen 6 games, and it would make a lot of sense for them to be involved in the story to a degree. Still, featuring most or even all Mega Evolutions in the franchise in Pokemon Legends Z-A makes sense, and a sizable chunk of them comes from Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, meaning that their content will most likely be part of the upcoming game in some way.

Pokemon Legends Z-A Can Reintroduce Mega Evolutions, Mirage Spots, and Primal Forms

Pokemon Legends Z-A Can Draw Inspiration from Legends: Arceus for Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Content

Other than Mega Evolutions, there are other features that may appear in Pokemon Legends Z-A from the Gen 3 remakes. Chief among them are the Primal forms of Groudon and Kyogre, acting as Mega Evolutions of sorts for the Gen 3 mascots, which would make sense considering that Mega Rayquaza exists. Another possibility is that Mirage Spots could make a comeback in the post-game, offering players ways to get Legendaries from other generations or items.

These wouldn't be too different from Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Space-Time Distortions, essentially being timed events where valuable wild Pokemon and items appear. Considering that Gen 3 remakes added a total of 18 Mega Evolutions and that there are only 48 total, counting two Mewtwo and Charizard Mega Evolutions, it would make little sense to cut many existing ones, and that alone makes it very likely for Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire content to make into the game - possibly even the Delta episode involving Deoxys. Overall, Pokemon Legends Z-A has a unique opportunity because it can mix Gen 6 games with the Gen 3 remakes, and then some - something that could elevate it even above the heights reached with Pokemon Legends: Arceus.