Pokemon Legends: Z-A is set to break years of tradition when it launches this year, as it's currently listed as the only main game in the entire 29-year-old series to have an ESRB rating of 10+.
Look, it might not be a shocking M rating, but it's still an unprecedented deal within the Pokemon series. Looking through all of the series' ESRB ratings, every single main game has been given an E for everyone – the only exceptions at all are the Pokemon Rumble spin-offs (apart from Pokemon Rumble U, for some reason).
Legends: Z-A's rating isn't actually on the ESRB website yet – it's currently viewable on the official Nintendo site. As such, we don't have a full explanation as to why this one is higher than usual, but we know it'll include "fantasy violence," which is a step up from the "mild fantasy violence" included in the likes of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, as well as Legends: Arceus.
We'll just have to stay tuned to see why this is the case, but I think it's worth keeping in mind the ratings of those aforementioned Pokemon Rumble games. The spin-offs feature real-time combat, allowing you to run around as toy Pokemon, firing attacks and charging into hordes of other toy Pokemon – the rating descriptions mention the "melee-style fighting that includes punching, kicking, slashing, biting, and scratching." In a very basic form, it's comparable to Pokemon Legends: Z-A's real-time battles in the way that Pokemon run around sending out attacks. Could this perhaps be a contributing factor to the upcoming RPG's higher rating?
It's also worth noting that the situation is slightly different outside of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In the UK, for example, where the PEGI ratings board is used, Legends: Z-A has a provisional rating of 7, which is actually very common for the series, and matches up with the likes of Legends: Arceus and Scarlet and Violet (and, for what it's worth, the Pokemon Rumble games). Being a provisional rating, this could change between now and release, but it doesn't appear that The Pokemon Company thinks anything is included in the RPG that'll increase its rating as far as PEGI is concerned.
Be sure to check out our list of the best Pokemon games to find your next adventure.
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