Pokemon players are already convinced Legends Z-A map could be a big problem

Last year on Pokemon Day, players got their first look at the next title in the Legends series. However, concerns originally vocalized about the limited map have continued to grow, leading players to worry if the game will capture the same charm as Arceus delivered.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A, due to launch sometime in 2025, is still largely a mystery to fans. With only one trailer available, no additional news or images provided, and no general gameplay breakdowns discussed, players have been left to theorize what this next adventure in the franchise will contain.

One hot talking point has continued to cause anxiety among fans: the location.

Legends: Z-A’s map could set the game back generations

Set in the Kalos Region’s Lumiose City, and not the entire map, there has been widespread discussion about how this could be the same type of Legends game presented in Arceus. One player has taken to X, sharing their worries that the “charm of PLA would be stripped away” without the mechanics of the original Legends title.

The poster has speculated on what the new game could look like, offering bleak speculation where “no regional forms, no new pokemon, no ancestors(or descendants), no far past or far future setting, no ride Pokémon, no open explorable wilderness, and no mixed region starters” would be included.

They have asked what others think about a more restricted gameplay experience, including that they personally feel like it “would basically feel like an old 3rd version Pokémon game”.

The conversations between players excited about the new adventure are complex. One trainer has commented, “Yea thatd go against everything they’ve done to this point. They’ll keep to what worked, probably improve the battle system and keep out breeding etc as it wouldn’t make sense and doesn’t need it. Put in more single player content, QoL and it’ll be a great game.”

However, others aren’t as put off by being restricted to one location. One commented, “Arceus is the only Legends game right now, so there’s no pattern yet And to be honest, I hope that the Legends series will be made up of completely different games from each other.”

Despite the anxiety about Legends: Z-A potentially being different from Arceus, most players are hopeful the first game in the series won’t set a precedent and that the developers will take this offshoot series as an opportunity to explore new mechanics and concepts.

Information about Pokemon Legends: Z-A will be delivered soon with Pokemon Day 2025 just over a month away. New breakdowns will give players a better understanding of what’s to come and offer a clearer picture of Z-A’s place in the franchise. Hopefully, it will be everything players hoped for and not a stripped version of the well-loved first entry.