A new leak claims that Pokémon Legends: Z-A will get over 25 new Mega Evolutions, with a popular Gen 5 Pokémon supposedly getting the nod for a new form. Due out later this year, Pokémon Legends: Z-A will bring back the Mega Evolutions to the franchise. While no new Mega Evolutions have been confirmed by The Pokémon Company to date, many believe that the game will introduce at least some new Mega Evolved forms.

Over the weekend, Centro Leaks posted the claim that Pokémon Legends: Z-A will get 27 different new Mega Evolutions. This information was confirmed by known Nintendo leaker Pyoro, who teased the number several months ago. Additionally, Centro Leaks also teased that Excadrill, a Ground/Steel Pokémon that first appeared in Pokémon Black and White, would be one of the Pokémon getting a new Mega Evolution. Riddler Khu, a different leaker with mixed accuracy, originally posted a Excadrill tease.

Everything We Know About Mega Evolutions In Pokémon Legends: Z-A

The Game Will Likely Heavily Focus On Mega Evolutions, Which Was The Signature Mechanic Of The Kalos Region

So far, there's been precious little revealed about how Mega Evolution will work in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We've seen that many existing Mega Evolutions will appear in the game, including Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Ampharos, and Mega Gyarados. Based on the inclusion of Mega Lucario in the Pokémon Horizons anime, it's safe to assume that the fan-favorite Mega Evolution will also return to the game next year.

One rumored Pokémon set to get a Mega Evolution is Gen 1's Victreebel. The Bellsprout line was supposed to get a divergent evolution line in Pokémon Gold and Silver, but plans for that Pokémon (which was set to evolve via a scrapped Poison Stone item) were scrapped ahead of time. Victreebel is one of the few Gen 1 Pokémon to not receive any love through new mechanics like Mega Evolution, convergent evolutions, or regional forms, so a new Mega Evolution would provide a major boost in exposure.

Our Take: More Mega Evolutions Than We Thought

Mega Evolution Is Getting A Big Upgrade If Rumors Are True

To be blunt, I assumed that Pokémon Legends: Z-A would get a handful of new Mega Evolutions, but not 27 new forms. That increases the number of Mega Evolutions in the franchise by over 50% and would give players plenty of new content. One criticism of Pokémon Legends: Arceus is that it was quite stingy in the number of new Pokémon/new Pokémon forms, so 27 different new forms would certainly go a long way to correct that.

Of course, it's not exactly a surprise given that several hundred new Pokémon species have appeared in the game since the franchise launched, so Pokémon Legends: Z-A better show some love to newer generations of games as well.

Source: X/Centro Leaks, X/Pyoro, X/Riddler Khu