When Can You Play Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Exact Local Release Times, Preload Steps & Preorder Rewards

Pokémon Legends: Z-A arrives on the Nintendo Switch 2 on Thursday, Oct. 16, and launch times will be staggered by region. Below you’ll find exact local release times, preload details, file sizes, and preorder bonuses — all laid out clearly so you can plan when to jump into Lumiose City.

Jump links: Pokémon Legends: Z-A release time in your time zone | Can you preload Pokémon Legends: Z-A?

1. Pokémon Legends: Z-A release time in your time zone
2. Can you preload Pokémon Legends: Z-A?
3. Preorder bonuses and physical copies

Pokémon Legends: Z-A release time in your time zone

Pokémon Legends: Z-A will go live at *midnight of your region’s easternmost time zone* on Thursday, Oct. 16. In practice, that means the game unlocks at different local times depending on where you live.

Key local times

• 9 p.m. PDT on Wed. Oct. 15 — West Coast North America
• 12 a.m. EDT on Thu. Oct. 16 — East Coast North America
• 12 a.m. BRT on Thu. Oct. 16 — Brazil
• 12 a.m. BST on Thu. Oct. 16 — United Kingdom
• 12 a.m. CEST on Thu. Oct. 16 — Western Europe
• 12 a.m. JST on Thu. Oct. 16 — Japan
• 12 a.m. AEDT on Thu. Oct. 16 — Australia

For clarity, those times follow the guideline that the game becomes available at midnight in the easternmost time zone of each region. Therefore, if you live in a very large country that spans multiple time zones, check the time above that matches your local region.

Region switching and physical copies

You can access the game earlier by switching your Nintendo account region to an earlier time zone (for example, New Zealand or eastern Australia). However, that action can *unlink your Nintendo Network ID* and may affect your ability to switch regions later. As a safer alternative, create a new account set to the earlier region if you plan to buy from that region’s eShop.

Finally, if you buy a physical cartridge, you can play as soon as you have the disc — region settings on your eShop won’t affect physical copies.

Can you preload Pokémon Legends: Z-A?

Yes. If you preordered the game on the Nintendo eShop, you can preload it now.

File sizes and requirements

• Switch 1: 4.0 GB required
• Switch 2: 7.7 GB required

Make sure you have that free space on your console before the day of release to avoid delays.

Preorder bonuses and physical copies

Everyone who preorders Pokémon Legends: Z-A will receive a Ralts holding a Gardevoirite. Additionally, digital purchasers receive an email code for 100 Poké Balls.

Preorder items for physical buyers vary by retailer:

• Pokémon Center — A Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile pin
• Walmart — A Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile pin (online preorder only)
• Target — Pokémon Legends: Z-A decal set
• Best Buy — Gamer mat featuring the map of Lumiose City
• GameStop — An in-game trench coat and pants set

To sum up: preload if you bought digitally and have space, consider a region account only if you accept the risks, and remember that physical copies let you play as soon as you get them. Enjoy exploring Lumiose City — battles are now in real time, so things will feel different right from the first fight.