As anyone who’s into Nintendo or Pokémon knows, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has now leaked online. As a result, info about the game’s new Mega Evolutions, characters and story details are now flooding the internet, along with details about the game’s mechanics and how they’ve changed this time around.
But it seems like the release game isn’t the only thing that got leaked here. No, a development build for Legends: Z-A leaked as well.
The ZA build in the Teraleak has been released. pic.twitter.com/QKpqQDup0Y
— PearlEnthusiast (@palkiaorigin) October 13, 2025
And there’s an interesting bit of backstory as to why that’s the case. You see, a few games year, a massive breach hit Game Freak. Dubbed the Teraleak, this resulted in the source code for numerous Pokémon games getting leaked online, along with interesting bits of folklore, info on the anime and adaptations, and correspondence between people working at the company.
It’s where that dubious story about Typhlosion came from.
However, the hackers didn’t just get old Pokémon files here. No, they also got files for games like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the upcoming tenth generation games, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
They just didn’t want to release them at that point for whatever reason. Perhaps because they thought Nintendo might not sue them for quite as much money if they didn’t leak the games they’re currently selling. Or to avoid too much scrutiny from them overall.
Regardless, that’s now changed. An early build for Pokémon Legends: Z-A is floating around the internet, and reveals a ton about the game’s development lifecycle.
With one notable aspect being a change in release date. Yep, according to some internal communications, Legends: Z-A was due to release at the 2024, with the expectation being that’d it be the last Pokémon game for the NX (Switch).
Some internal release plans for Legends: Z-A showing it as a 2024 release
So, yeah. If there was any doubt about it already, it can be ignored now. Nintendo and the Pokémon Company delayed Legends: Z-A a year to fix up and improve the game.
But the delay isn’t the most interesting aspect here. No, some of the cut features are.
Since Pokémon Legends: Z-A has something rather important that hit the cutting room floor. Online multiplayer.
Yeah, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet style online multiplayer was planned for this game too, with players being able to explore Lumiose City with friends just like they could Galar and Paldea.
Some early online multiplayer concepts for Pokémon: Legends Z-A
Some more online multiplayer concepts for Pokémon Legends: Z-A
It’s unknown why exactly this was cut down to only battles, but people are speculating it’s because of performance challenges or time crunch.
There were also cut navigation features utilising species of Pokémon in the same way as Legends: Arceus. So, you were able to ride around the city on Gogoat like in X & Y, jump into the air and glide with Talonflame, and teleport with Alakazam to name just a few.
You were once able to ride Gogoat and work with other Pokémon in Pokemon: Legends Z-A
Again, we don’t know why these were cut. Same with some cut mini games and features documented by people online.
Still, it’s clear that Pokémon Legends: Z-A went through a few ‘interesting’ changes during its time in development, and that the game we’re getting in a week or so isn’t quite the game they initially envisioned. Still, the actual release version of Legends: Z-A looks interesting in its own way, and it’s common for features to get changed or removed during a game’s development, so we’ll hold our judgement until the final game is available.
For example, the Demon Dragon fight was once planned to be in the Depths in Tears of the Kingdom
Regardless, what do you think? Are you surprised by some of the unused content in Pokémon Legends: Z-A? What other features and content do you think may have cut or changed between 2024 and 2025?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below, on social media, or on our Discord server today!
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