Pokémon Legends Z-A Locking Specific Monsters Behind Paywall

Pokémon Legends Z-A is launching very soon, on 16 October to be exact, but when it does, several ‘mon will be locked behind a paywall.

There’s plenty that’s exciting fans when it comes to the upcoming Pokémon Legends Z-A.

The game will take us to Lumiose City, inspired by real life Paris, in an instalment that somewhat serves as a sequel to Pokémon X and Y.

It’ll also notably be swapping turn-based gameplay for real-time combat, something which has gone down well in early previews.

In fact, GAMINGbible’s Sam Cawley had the opportunity to sample the game at this year’s Gamescom, writing, “Pokémon Legends Z-A is building off the best mechanics introduced during Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Pokémon Scarlet & Violet.”

He continued, “I think it’ll all hinge on the performance and post-game content for me, but this has all the makings of an excellent Pokémon game.”

Well, it’s now come to light that some of the game’s content will be locked behind a paywall, namely, the Mega Evolutions for the Kalos trio.

As reported by GamesRadar, it looks as if you’ll need Nintendo Switch Online - a paid subscription service - in order to access them.

Pokémon X and Y’s stater ‘mon Chesnaught, Delphox, and Greninja are finally set to receive Mega Evolutions but with a catch.

As detailed on the Pokémon website, you’ll have to compete online as these Mega Evolutions are tied to the game’s ranked seasons.

If you don’t know, you need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to access online services on both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

As a part of the Z-A Battle Club, season one’s reward comes in the form of Geninjite, with Delphoxite and Chesnaughtite unlocking in seasons two and three, respectively.

Within each ranked season, you’ll need to actually climb enough ranks to unlock these Mega Evolutions, but the amount you need hasn’t actually been detailed yet.

With that in mind, not only are these ‘mon locked behind a paywall, but you’re likely going to have to work pretty hard to actually get them too.

"Greninjite, Delphoxite, and Chesnaughtite stones cannot normally be obtained during regular gameplay,” the Pokémon site reads.

And then there’s Raichu who’s set to receive new Mega Evolutions in the form of Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y as part of a paid DLC coming post-launch.

Pokémon Legends Z-A is quickly becoming an expensive affair.

If you are someone without a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, the standard tier will currently set you back £3.49 for a single month, £6.99 for three months, or £17.99 for a year.

It’s one of the cheaper subscription services out there but it’s still a shame that some players may feel forced to fork out extra cash.