It would fit the new vibe…
Of the few confirmed Nintendo Switch/Switch titles that have a release date for the rest of 2025, Pokemon Legends Z-A is currently the biggest among them. The game aims to continue the success of the spinoff titles that started with Arceus over on the Switch, and this time, it’ll focus on bringing Zygarde into the mix. Currently, The Pokemon Company has teased many things within the game, including showing off a new trailer about the people you’ll meet in the expanded Lumiose City, but eagle-eyed fans noticed something on the game’s official site that points to there being a chance for online multiplayer.
The reason that’s significant is many-fold, but the key one is that the title with Arceus was strictly a single-player game. It made sense because that title was about you, the player character, having been summoned through time and space to help save Hisui and also complete the first Pokedex of the region. Thus, it would’ve been weird for a bunch of multiplayer battles to happen when you’re supposed to be “the only one of your kind in this world.” However, for Pokemon Legends Z-A, it would make sense that you can have such battles given the battle royale competition that happens at night, and the far more modern game setting.
Focusing on the information at hand, if you take a look at the tweet below, known leaker Centro Leaks points out that on the game’s site, it talks about “Mystery Gift,” which was an option in the previous entry. However, the site details that to unlock this feature, you need to go to the “Link Play” menu, which was NOT in the other game.
Nintendo may have spoiled that Pokémon Legends: Z-A is gonna have some kind of online mode.
The game will have a "Link Play" menu, where Mystery Gift will reside. Legends: Arceus didn't have such a menu. pic.twitter.com/Oh3sd8fgcP
— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) July 28, 2025
“Link” seems to imply that you’ll be able to connect with other players, not unlike the legendary/infamous “link cable” that would allow players of the Game Boy to do battles and trades with one another in Gen 1. It’s hard to picture what else the name could mean, or why they would create an entirely new menu for the Mystery Gift feature if it wasn’t going to mean something different.
If this is the case, it would add a new level of fun to the title, including being able to test yourself in real-time battles against your friends and other online competition. Furthermore, perhaps there could be a “battle royale” mode that players can partake in to mimic what’s going on in the story campaign.
We’ll find out on October 16th if this is the case!
