Z-A Reveals New 4-Player Battle Mode

During the closing ceremonies of the 2025 Pokemon World Championships, it was revealed that the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A will have a four-player battle mode called the Z-A Battle Club. In this new format, up to four Pokemon Legends: Z-A players will have three minutes to knock out as many opposing Pokemon as possible, and utilizing Mega Evolution will be a key to victory.

Unlike past mainline Pokemon games, Pokemon Legends: Z-A foregoes the turn-based battle format in favor of real-time battles that allow various moves to be used with short cooldown timers. This experimental battle style will also be a focal point of Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s main story, as the Z-A Battle Royale will serve a similar role to the Pokemon Gyms of other games. Mega Evolution will also make its return in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, as both past Mega forms and new variants, like Mega Dragonite, have been confirmed to appear in the upcoming title.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Reveals Four-Player Battle Club

While some details about Pokemon Legends: Z-A are being kept under wraps, The Pokemon Company gave trainers a glimpse at a new battle mode. At the closing ceremonies of the 2025 Pokémon World Championships, The Pokemon Company’s CEO and president, Tsunekazu Ishihara, revealed a new, four-player game mode called the Z-A Battle Club. This online-focused format will pit up to four trainers in a three-minute battle where every player fights for themselves. A short trailer from the Switch 2 Edition of Pokemon Legends: Z-A demonstrated the premise of the Z-A Battle Club and showed how chaotic this new battle format can become. After knocking out a Pokemon, the trainer who dealt the finishing blow is awarded a point. Simply put, the trainer who defeats the most Pokemon within the three-minute time limit is the winner.

However, Pokemon Legends: Z-A players can freely swap out their Pokemon during a Z-A Club Battle, giving them a chance to counterattack and mix up their tactics. Mega Evolution will also be a key factor in deciding the outcomes of Z-A Battle Club matches. Powerful Pokemon like Mega Ampharos and Mega Dragonite can use moves to either focus on a single Pokemon or target all Pokemon within a certain range. Knocking out multiple Pokemon with a single move also awards points, so players can plan out when to Mega Evolve and go on the offensive.

An active Nintendo Switch Online membership will be required to participate in the Z-A Battle Club. With Pokemon Legends: Z-A reintroducing older game mechanics and experimenting with new battle modes, the upcoming title will have something for both seasoned and upcoming trainers.