The Pokémon Company has confirmed that two bugs will be addressed in an upcoming patch for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and announced changes to Ranked Battles that will make Mega Stones easier to obtain.
Set in Kalos—the region first introduced in Pokémon X and Y—Pokémon Legends: Z-A finally reintroduces Mega Evolutions for Kalos Pokémon after a 12-year absence. Rather than finding Mega Stones during the main story, Game Freak chose to gate them behind the online Ranked Battle system, requiring players to climb the ladder to earn Mega Stones.
Ranked play in Season 1 required players to reach Rank K to claim Greninjite (the game’s ranking runs from Z up to A). In response to player feedback, Game Freak is making the progression less strenuous for future seasons.
In a post on the official Pokémon site, Game Freak said it will “ease the conditions for earning Mega Stones” to make Ranked Battles more enjoyable. Greninjite will remain the Rank K reward for Season 1, but it will be reissued at Rank Y in Season 2, lowering the barrier to obtain it. Read the original announcement.
Season 2’s headline reward, Delphoxite, will also have its rank requirement reduced to Rank S—eight ranks lower than K—making it more accessible than previously announced. Ranked Battles will receive a balance update as well: the points awarded per match will be adjusted to reduce unexpected point loss after matches, and some match rewards will be partially increased to improve overall progression.
Game Freak has also published a list of known issues affecting the offline experience. One bug can cause certain catch attempts to always fail. Another prevents Pokémon granted by side missions from being delivered if your Pokémon Boxes fill up before the first Rogue Mega Evolution encounter and you haven’t opened the Boxes menu since filling them. Because those missions are how players obtain the Kalos starter Pokémon, this bug can block players from receiving those starters until it’s resolved. Details from the developer.
The studio is also targeting a separate bug in which, during some side missions, a shift from daytime to nighttime (or vice versa) at the exact moment a move lands can cause the target to become untargetable afterward, preventing players from progressing. Both issues are slated to be fixed in the November update, which should coincide with the launch of Ranked Season 2.
The game’s simplistic platforming can be maddening when it stops you from clearing basic obstacles.
