Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have released a brand new trailer for the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, plus detailed how the new Link Battles work.
As the trailer below shows, the Z-A Battle Club is welcoming new entrants to take part in its four-player battles, with the goal being to defeat as many of your opponents’ Pokémon as possible within the time given.
Watch on YouTube
Intense four-player Link Battles in the Z-A Battle Club
Image credit: Nintendo/The Pokemon Company
The Z-A Battle Club is ready for its newest Link Battle entrants! Up to four players can take part in battles where they attempt to defeat as many of each other’s Pokémon as they can within the three-minute time limit.
When any of your Pokémon faint, you will return to your starting point and reenter the battle with all your Pokémon fully recovered. Defeating an opponent’s Pokémon earns you a point, and those points determine your ranking. Mega Power orbs, which can be collected to Mega Evolve your Pokémon, may also appear around the stage, as well as items to boost your Pokémon’s stats temporarily.
Real-time battling gets serious
In this title’s new battle system, some moves may work differently than in prior games in the Pokémon series. Moves have a wide range of effects—launching attacks in a fixed radius to deal damage to multiple Pokémon at once, targeting distant Pokémon by attacking in a straight line, and more. Launch attacks from places your opponents don’t expect or sweep through groups of opponents as you lead your partner Pokémon to victory by making full use of a variety of moves.
Climb the ranks to earn rewards
Image credit: Nintendo/The Pokemon Company
Test your real-time battling skills against Trainers around the world in Ranked Battles. You’ll earn points based on your placement in four-player Link Battles, and may earn an additional kicker based on your performance. Similar to the main story, you’ll start off at Rank Z and can climb the ranks to the ultimate Rank A.
Enjoy real-time battles with your friends
Looking to settle who’s the best Trainer once and for all? Challenge your friends in Private Battles! You can input a Link Code to connect with nearby players using local communication or distant players online. Once you’re all connected, you can adjust the battle rules to your liking and battle against up to three other players.
Link Battles can be played between Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A with the upgrade pack applied.
A paid Nintendo Switch Online membership is required to participate in battles via the internet.
In order to enjoy online play, you will need to have downloaded the latest update data.
The Pokémon Video Game Championships at the 2026 Pokémon World Championships will be played on Pokémon Champions.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is set for rlease on Switch and Switch 2 on 16th October.
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