Pokémon Legends: Z-A Is Getting DLC Featuring Two Different Mega Raichu

Announcing a DLC for an unreleased game always leaves a bad impression, we all know it’s cut content from the base game being sold separately…

I wonder what mega dimension will be about.
Side note, anyone remember that episode of Pokémon when team rocket thought that there would be a mega stone for pikachu? Well they were…kinda right?

Nintendo is getting very greedy this generation. These bad practices of DLC are so 2010s.
DK and Pokemon ... there's really no excuse to cut content like that... but anyway

I, for one, am very happy the DLC was announced in advance. I know it’s not usually well received by fans because of the perception that the game “isn’t finished”. However, it does mean that this game will be supported longer than Legends Arceus was, and with the rather exciting new online multiplayer mode, I’m glad the the community will have motivation to revisit after completing the base game.

We got DLC for an unreleased game before we got MK World DLC

I skipped the S/V DLC for being way too expensive and releasing on top of an already broken game.
I have very high hopes for ZA (Kalos was my fav game!) so if the base game is good, I will definitely be buying this.

Which I hate. Announcing paid DLC before a game comes out is such a scummy move, but I know I'm going to love this game enough to buy it...

DLC announced before the game is released is so scummy. The Pokémon Company is so greedy.

Not super interested in ZA but I'm glad to see Raichu getting some love at least.

Love that they are already announcing support. That does push back my purchase though as I will wait for a bundle release.

(don’t know why I didn’t realize that Raichu has fangs)

Hahahaha! Man game Freak should be named money freaks. DLC before the game is even out. Man. Skipping this game hard.

Aww, I wish they were kept as secrets until the game's release, but I won't be seeing them anyway until the game releases. I'm on a spoiler-avoiding journey until release after all, so no new designs until I see them in-game.

The DLC is something I couldn't miss though, and it's interesting for them to reveal it so soon. I guess they're holding a much bigger announcement for the next Pokémon presentations so they can show DLC footage as normal content. But I wonder what it'll be about, besides Hoopa being a good excuse to catch past legendaries, I hope we see tons of new surprises there. The DLC curiously costs the same as the previous two-part S/V DLC...

Charging 100 dollars for a complete game is bad enough, but ruining the cute simple design of Raichu by going "Yeah Pikachu is the more popular one so why don't we just make Raichu look more like that" is so awful to me.

As the Swansong to Pokemon on the Switch and probably my final Pokemon game, this makes my wallet hurt

Thanks Nintendo, and just like that I lost my interest in the game. Oh well, seems like I will not be buying Switch 2 games until the new Yoshi comes out.

A bit surprising that they're announcing the dlc before the game releases, but I'm still excited for the game. I expected there would be dlc for the game, which is why I decided to get it digitally at Christmastime.

Sounds cool to me. Like those ultra beast worm holes in sun and moon. However, announcing dlc with the game is odd — is it not a full game they are selling?

I forgot how silly mega evolutions could be. It was mostly the few cool ones that stuck with me, but a lot of them really are comically overdesigned.

Whoa. Pokemon games are being made with tactics to shamelessly move product. Didn't see that coming since Gen 1 launched as one complete game with content split into two carts + a later third.

I think this is the forst time besides Smash Nintendo has announced DLC before the release of the game.

This is A$$ the game isn’t even out and DLC is announced?? Really not giving me confidence as a consumer… probably will be skipping this if the dlc is paid, and his rely probably if it is free. PLA was an amazing direction for the series and then this is what you follow it up with? Wth gamefreak and nintendo

Amazing how many people who have already stated they won't be getting the game also declare they won't buy the DLC. Was really hoping they'd buy it and not the actual game.

Jokes aside, I hope those those people enjoy their copies of Sonic Racing Crosswords Digital Deluxe Edition. Don't you just love it when Sega does a thing?

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY I LOVE CHESNAUGHT GRENINJA AND DELPHOX

And it's $30. That story content better be pretty substantial - that's half the price of the base game!

But I disagree about this being cut content. They may have wanted to wrap up the game, but they had more ideas. So, they decided to continue working on developing further content for the game past the release date.

And telling us now about it gives us a heads-up that we can expect further support past the endgame. Wasn't everyone asking for that with Mario Kart World...?

I feel like many people are being quite fickle. We want DLC. Then we don't want DLC. Then we want it for free. Geez. I mean, I don't think Nintendo has done a great job navigating all this stuff so far, but I feel like the community is generally being a large sourpuss about everything. Work costs money. Prices are what they are. Capitalism sucks. But we can be unhappy about things and not criticize every decision or announcement that is made. Besides, I'm sure many people are genuinely excited about everything (all at once or individually) and would like to engage in some positive discussion about it. Maybe we all could whine a little less?

Madness. Game's not out and paid DLC announced. I mean at least wait a little while after release, this is just "We were gonna include it but we knew you suckers would pay for it, so we cut and decided to announce it as DLC. Now, would you kindly give us your money.....please. See, we said please, we are nice"

Funny how people are complaining now but it’ll still end up being a best seller.

People have been blinded by nostalgia with Pokemon a long time ago already. I’ll wait to buy the game used cause this franchise doesn’t deserve to be bought brand new.

I want a new pokémon game without mega, just like the old days

It will sell a billion copies, no matter how good or bad it actually is, so what’s even the point of complaining?

Scarlet/Violet performance is here to stay folks. The consumers voted with their wallets.

I've skipped all the dlcs for any pokemon games in protest of this scrapped content getting added to the game for half the price of the stupid game. All that to say, this time they played themselves so smart that I will cave in and buy this dlc when it comes out.. I dont care for the story or the content, only for my boy. They've done it. They've finally done it. Mega Raichu is finally here. I can die in peace now...

Im done!!! Paid obscene preprder and now there's paid DLC on top...... cancelling and getting a new hobby.

For a second I thought there was going to be a Pokémon and Sonic crossover lol. But yeah, DLC for an unreleased game from a company that has developed misses recently, is definitely a sight to behold.

@IOI Exactly this. They probably wanted to charge $80-$100 for this game but knew they’d get too much backlash online.

Their solution? Charge $70 and remove part of the base game as $30 paid DLC, and lock a highly requested mega evolution to it. Pretty disgusting, even considering the current market/economy.

Even if that WASN’T their intent, I don’t care. That’s the vibe it gives off to consumers.

Watching the direct I was pretty excited about some announcements but tbh I don’t know if I’m going to buy any games going forward, not until I can get them used and cheaper from sites like GameFly or EBay.

I would love to see a season pass for Pokemon games in the future. Could come with like 5 popular pokemons and maybe some hats. With maybe like 15-20 euros/dollars price tag it would be nice way to support Nintendo and Pokemon company!

@Notsoavid I'm not a fan but I appreciate your perspective. That said, I still think announcing it before the game even launches is in poor taste. As long as the base game feels substantial enough though, I don't really care.

And just like that, they've completely put me off from picking up the game at all. And to think that they almost got me with those tantalising preorder bonuses.

I'll hold out for a physical bundle release. The absolute nerve to charge AU$110 for this plus a freaking $45 DLC pack.

Not sure about Mega Greninja, does it need a Mega when it already has its Ash Greninja form?

I preordered the game on a small discount a few weeks ago, on the notion that I enjoyed Legends Arceus decently enough. But if I hadn't, I would not have bought this game at this point due to the pre-release DLC announcement.

I'm so sick and tired of them milking this franchise to the death in all the wrong ways.

nice called it about all starters getting megas. should they delay the game even further to make this extra content into the base game? ehh maybe but im just glad this means they arent abandoning the game as soon as it launches as nintendo usually does.

While I'm excited for the base game, companies announcing paid DLC before a game even releases always leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Hopefully there are ways outside of online ranked battles to earn the mega evolution stones for the Kalos starters. I've always been more of a PVE person in Pokemon.

My spare pennies on this topic...

Announcing DLC ahead of release is nothing new, even for Nintendo (ala BotW and Smash). What I'm intrigued on, as my hype is ever climbing for this game, is what all will be included for that $30 price tag.

The DLC that was included in Scarlet and Violet was pretty substantial and was very much well needed for the story of the game. Honestly, the DLC ended up turning the game into one of my favorite Pokemon games of all time.

As for DLC for ZA, I'm expecting either a full new region or areas to explore outside of the city. As people have already stated, Pokemon announcing in advance that this game will have legs for support unlike Arceus is absolutely huge (Arceus is my favorite Pokemon game to date). I can understand the frustration around announcing DLC in advance, but with how hard in the paint the marketing has been for this game thus far, this new game (whether you like it or not) is the new direction for the main line games going forward (battle style revamped, cannot transfer pokemon back to prior games, Champions replacing turn based combat).

I'm excited for the Evolution.

We don't even know how well this game will run when it's released and they are already announcing DLC. Ridiculous.

@AllBLK Looks pretty buttery smooth on the Switch 2.

DLC Aside... how unbelievable stupid is it that they tied the KALOS STARTER MEGAS to FOMO????

Only obtainable in ranked seasons, implying anyone will take this online battling system seriously at all, and not even together so you cannot even use your mega kalos starter for seemingly months.

The redistribution is being incredible vague and even that won't last forever.

Ranked will just be the most undodgable and overtuned megas then left at that.

This is not what everyone had in mind for the 'Legends' direction, this is far from arceus.

@Zeebor15 I think they announced the paid DLC for Mario Golf World Tour and Fire Emblem Awakening on 3DS

this is not okay, game companies need to be informed that consumers will sour fast on them for this kind of stunt.

Anyone who thinks this stuff is cut from the main game is delusional. If DLC didn't exist, you'd never see this stuff at all.

DLC has been around for two decades, if you make a game that's obviously going to receive DLC, you develop it at the same time as the main game, not after it's come out. I don't see why it matters when it gets announced.

I'd much rather Mario Odyssey announced DLC before the game came out than the none that it got

@BenAV looks are irrelevant what matters if it’s fun

Also don’t get the switch 2 version then get the basic version it’s not that serious lol

@AllBLK it’s on switch 2

@IOI the dlc is confirmed to be coming later so when it’s announced is irrelevant

@Ulysses u can trade them

@AllBLK vibes are more important

@Araquanid I think it's going to be a limited time exclusive and then will be part of the DLC.

@HammerGalladeBro That's a special form from their bond, so I guess that's justification
Who am I kidding, it's for hype

I'm not usually one to rant about Pokemon games but this day 1 DLC and the fact that the Kalos starters Mega are only available through online battles as rewards, is infuriating to me.

I'm so hyped for Legends Z-A, it's based on X&Y which is some of my favorite gen but this is just disappointing.

One thing that I love about Legends Arceus is that because the game is a single player game only, I don't have to worry about online tradings, online battles and whatnot. And the fact that I can catch all Pokemon within the game to completion, probably one of the best fulfillment I've had in a Pokemon game.

But in this case, you have Megas that are locked behind DLC and online matches. This just makes things very cumbersome for someone who would rather play the game solo.

I'm so hyped for this game but damn, this announcements just makes me angry.....

@Yoshi3

This.
This direct was the direct of paid dlc.

Even the premium subscription is getting paid dlc in the form of virtual boy games.

I've been upset with them since OG switch, and now they've gotten cocky from their success, to the point they're burning it as fuel.

The Pokémon Company's greed, ego, and laziness are on full display with this one.

@Ashina : Hold up....... seriously?!!!!!

I must have missed that part of the reveal!

On top of everything else that's wrong with the DLC, paywalling Mega Evolutions via online battles (which requires a subscription) is a level of scummy that I had never contemplated...

Paid DLC expansion before release? God this is so low low ball scumbag move. It's still real time also. They are trying to bury the Pokemon IP it seems. Just absolutely horrific.

I wish people would really vote with their wallets but lots of Pokemon fans are so weak it's embarrassing.

@BenAV ur loss ur missing out on the best story the best lore the best sound track the best character designs a total one of a kind unique experience

What makes Pokémon games good:

Pokémon is always meant to be an entry level jrpg maybe the people trying to hate on pokemon maybe they just aren’t into jrpgs

If

The lore was good
The writing was good
The music was good
The vibes were good
The messages were good
The character designs were good

That’s all you really need

As well as the whimsical gameplay I mean there’s a reason lots of people have said they still think it’s fun despite the issues

None of the other nonsense is that important

How would u know if u didn’t try it first

I wonder what prompted them to announce DLC now? And how they thought it would be a good idea.

Just seems incredibly badly timed and incredibly tone deaf to their customers.