Pokemon Legends: Z-A has got fans celebrating the X and Y sequel we never got: “Pokemon Z is real, we just needed to wait a decade”

This is the closest fans have got to Pokemon Z

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

The newly-announcedPokemon Legends Z-Ahas got fans reminiscing about Gen 6 and the X and Y sequel we never got.

On February 27, during aPokemon Presents, it was revealed that we’d be getting another Pokemon Legends game, two years after Pokemon Legends: Arceus. The new game’s trailer didn’t give much away but we know that Pokemon Z-A is going to take place in Lumiose City - in the Kalos region just like in Pokemon X & Y - and will see the return of Mega Evolutions. Most importantly, the game is set to release sometime in 2025.

Very quickly after Z-A’s reveal, Pokemon fans started reminding each other about Pokemon Z - a game that never actually existed. Traditionally, before DLC became the standard,The Pokemon Companyhad a habit of releasing two mainline games and then a sequel to complete them. For example: Gold, Silver, and Crystal; Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald; Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, and so on.

When Pokemon Black and White rolled out in 2010, fans thought Pokemon Grey would be next. Instead, we got Pokemon Black and White 2. When Pokemon X and Y came around, fans, once again, expected Pokemon Z to complete the trio, but instead The Pokemon Company jumped generations completely and released Omega Ruby and Sapphire. Ever since then, fans have been theorizing about what happened to Pokemon Z.

According to Pokemon developer Junichi Masuda, in an interview with Spain’s Official Nintendo Magazine back in 2016 (translated byDidYouKnowGaming), there wasn’t ever any plan to make Pokemon Z. Talking about the theorized game, Masuda said at the time: “People thought Pokemon Z would come next, but taking advantage of the fact it’s the 20th anniversary, we decided to deliver another surprise with Sun & Moon.”

Pokemon Z-A isn’t exactly the Pokemon Z we’ve been waiting for, but that hasn’t stopped fans from celebrating anyway. “Pokémon Z is real, we just needed to wait a decade,” one Twitter userjoked. “They finally made Pokemon Z and it’s in the Legends style, hell yeah,” another fansaid. “POKEMON Z WAS ALWAYS REAL,” anotherdeclared.

My Pokémon Z, who has been in a coma for 10 years and presumed dead, just texted me this https://t.co/0U7oOw593P pic.twitter.com/k3n3d4MlDAFebruary 27, 2024

“No one had Pokemon f****** Z coming as a Legends game in their bingo,” aReddituser has shared. “How am I supposed to ask ‘where Pokemon Z’ on every Nintendo presentation now?” another asked. This led another fan to reply: “Now you can start asking WHEN Pokemon Z!”

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Wondering what pocket monsters we’re likely to see in the new game? Here’s thePokemon Legends: Z-A Pokedex.

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I’m also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.

BioWare hopes Dragon Age: The Veilguard brings the studio “back into the conversation as a top game studio” after Anthem and Mass Effect Andromeda flops

10 games like Dragon Age to get swept up in when you’re ready to leave Thedas

Metal Gear Solid Delta dev says that Konami wants to make the remake feel familiar but not old: “Our whole goal […] is to make sure that it still feels like the game that you played 20 years ago”