Summary
- Mega Evolution debuted in Pokemon X and Y and blew up the meta, and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire introduced even more Mega Evolved Pokemon .
- After Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, this mechanic fell into obscurity through Gens 8 and 9, but is finally coming back in Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
- In 2026, Pokemon Champions will let Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves, and Terastallization clash in exciting online battles.
Mega Evolution is, without a doubt, one of the most popular mechanics in the Pokemon franchise, as this mysterious phenomenon allows trainers to unlock an incredible and powerful new transformation for their Pokemon that can quickly turn the tide of any battle.
This mechanic has existed since 2013 but, much to the disappointment of Pokemon fans, it hasn’t returned in all the other games released since its introduction. It may not be entirely clear to some people exactly which Pokemon games have Mega Evolution in them and which ones don’t, so this guide will detail which ones it is available in, including upcoming releases that are set to bring it back after a seven-year-long absence.
Pokemon X And Y
The Games That Introduced Mega Evolution
Pokemon X and Y
- Released
- October 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
The release of Pokemon X and Y was a monumental moment for the franchise, not only because they were the first mainline games made with 3D graphics, but also because they introduced Mega Evolution, and this fascinating new mechanic immediately captivated the entire fan base. Eighteen Mega Evolutions were added in X and Y, including Mega Mewtwo, Mega Gengar, Mega Scizor, Mega Blaziken, Mega Gardevoir, and many more.
Weirdly enough, however, players could only use two Mega Evolutions during a regular play-through: Mega Lucario and the Mega Evolved form of whatever Kanto starter they chose at Lumiose City. Combined with the fact that only three NPCs used Mega Evolutions against the player (Korrina, Lysandre, and Diantha), this mechanic felt surprisingly underutilized in its debut game. Nevertheless, it still completely redefined the online competitive scene, with many Mega Evolutions reaching the Uber tier alongside most Legendary Pokemon.
Pokemon Omega Ruby And Alpha Sapphire
The Hoenn Remakes Put A Bigger Emphasis On Mega Evolution
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
- Released
- November 21, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
A little over a year after X and Y, Pokemon fans finally received the Generation Three remakes they had been waiting for over a decade: Pokemon Omega Ruby And Alpha Sapphire. While these two games were obviously in full 3D and had a number of significant quality-of-life improvements, they also took advantage of the brand-new Mega Evolution mechanic that had been introduced in the last entry.
Eighteen more Mega Evolutions were added in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, which mostly included forms of Pokemon that are native to Hoenn, like Mega Camerupt, Mega Sharpedo, Mega Sableye, Mega Sceptile, and Mega Swampert (which finally rounded up the Starter Trio after Mega Blaziken had been introduced in X and Y). Even Mega Rayquaza made its debut in these remakes, which quickly became one of the most overpowered Pokemon ever made. Additionally, a lot of NPCs, including the entire Elite 4 and the Champion, chose to Mega Evolve their signature Pokemon during their initial encounters, and it made the overall experience a lot more fun and challenging.
Pokemon Sun And Moon/Ultra Sun And Ultra Moon
Mega Evolution Took A Backseat In Generation Seven
Pokemon Sun and Moon
- Released
- November 18, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Pokemon Sun and Moon kick-started the seventh generation of Pokemon, which meant that a brand-new battle mechanic tried to take Mega Evolution’s place: Z-Moves. Nevertheless, despite the introduction of these over-the-top single-use moves, Mega Evolution was still available during this generation, meaning that both mechanics could interact with each other in battle.
However, there was a huge downside: no new Mega Evolutions were introduced in either Sun and Moon or their direct successors, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. This beloved mechanic took a backseat during this entire generation, as it was nowhere to be seen during the main story and could only be accessed in the post-game. These games were also notorious for including Pokedex entries of all the Mega Evolved forms, but, weirdly enough, most of them claimed that these transformations hurt the Pokemon and had a negative influence on their behavior.
Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu And Let's Go Eevee
Mega Evolution’s Final Appearance Was Quite Underwhelming
Pokemon Let's Go
- Released
- November 16, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Mild Cartoon Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
In 2018, Game Freak and the Pokemon Company released Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Pokémon Let's Go Eevee, two new Generation One remakes that implemented the more casual catching mechanics from Pokemon GO. Being able to explore a 3D reinterpretation of Kanto was certainly quite interesting, but a few new changes and mechanics were also added in order to keep things interesting and differentiate these games from the previous Generation One remakes, and Mega Evolution was one of them.
However, there was a catch: since Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee only feature Generation One Pokemon, only pre-existing Mega Evolutions from that generation were included, not to mention that not a single new one was added. While the inclusion of Mega Evolutions made the experience a bit more fun and more challenging, it’s worth pointing out that these games are missing some of the series’ core mechanics – like abilities and held items – so they didn’t have as much of an impact on the gameplay as they did in previous games.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Mega Evolution Is Finally Back After Seven Long Years
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
- Released
- October 16, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Unfortunately, Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee were the last mainline Pokemon titles to have Mega Evolution in them, as Generation Eight would completely remove this mechanic in favor of a brand-new one: Dynamax/Gigantamax. Pokemon fans were admittedly quite disappointed by this omission, and repeatedly asked Game Freak to bring Mega Evolution back for years. Unfortunately, it was also excluded from the first Generation Nine games, Scarlet and Violet, which put its focus on its own new mechanic, Terastallization.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is the next mainline entry in the series, and fans were more than excited to find out that not only is Mega Evolution going to come back in this upcoming title, but that it’s also going to be a huge element of both its story and its gameplay. The Pokemon Company and Nintendo have been particularly clever about this, because most of the marketing of Legends: Z-A has revolved around the reintroduction of Mega Evolved Pokemon, even though only two new ones have been revealed before its release (so far): Mega Dragonite and Mega Victreebel.
Pokemon Champions
Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves, And Terastallization Will Finally Meet In One Game
Pokemon Champions
- Developer(s)
- The Pokémon Works, Game Freak
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Fighting
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Mobile
But the long-awaited return of Mega Evolution will not only be marked by the release of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but also by the launch of Pokemon Champions sometime in 2026. This will be a free-to-play battle-only game that will allow players to face each other in different types of online matches, with one of its biggest selling points being the implementation of many classic battle mechanics at the same time.
That’s right, this means that Mega Evolution, Z-Moves and Terastallization will finally interact with each other in the same game (it hasn’t been confirmed yet if Dynamax/Gigantamax will also be available), which will lead to a lot of intense battles that’ll be full of strategic decision-making and exciting outcomes. Since Pokemon Champions won’t have a single-player mode, it’s highly unlikely that it’ll introduce any new Mega Evolutions of its own, but at least it’ll allow players to use any Mega Evolved Pokemon that made their debut in previous games, like X and Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and Legends: Z-A. This sounds really fun, and it’ll definitely keep the battles even more challenging and diverse.
Spin-Off Pokemon Games With Mega Evolution
This list covers mainline Pokemon games that contain the Mega Evolution mechanic, but there are also quite a few spin-off games that have Mega Evolution present. It doesn't work exactly the same, but fans of Mega Pokemon may enjoy seeing their favorites in the games listed below:
- Pokemon Shuffle
- Pokemon Rumble World
- Pokemon Picross
- Pokemon GO
- Pokken Tournament
- Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
- Pokemon Masters EX
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
- Pokemon Unite
6 Mechanics That The Pokemon Series Might Keep After Legends: Z-A
Pokemon Legends: Z-A might change the franchise forever, and this list showcases some of the mechanics that will become regular in future titles.