Pokemon Legends: Z-A Sets a Precedent for Gen 10 to Cost…

Pokemon Legends: Z-A came out just a few days ago, and unfortunately, it followed in the footsteps of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in terms of its initial reception. With some players calling the game dull, boring, and hand-holdy, and others being unhappy with the lack of long-requested features like voice acting, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is being review-bombed, and its current score is lower than that of Digimon Story: Time Stranger, which also launched this month.

Yet, there are even more controversies tied to Pokemon Legends: Z-A at the moment. Though many fans are happy with the game and there are plenty of social media posts saying that the game is better than what the reviews say, there are various issues that affect how enjoyable it can be, and in the long run, could even affect Gen 10. For example:

Pokemon Legends: Z-A timegates Mega Evolutions behind story content, with some being post-game exclusively, and others being tied to the "solo raids" that are Rogue Mega Evolutions.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Mega Steelix and Scizor, alongside other trade-only evolutions, are impossible to get solo and require fans to pay for Nintendo Switch Online.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC was announced even before the game released, and according to leaks, there will be two DLC total for the game.

Mega Steelix Pokemon — Mega Steelix Cropped

As such, considering all Pokemon Gen 10 leaks from last week, it seems quite likely that the new generation of games will include at the very least one DLC and some multiplayer content. For this reason, it's equally likely that Gen 10 will end up costing fans $150 or more to play.

Pokemon Legends Z-A Early DLC Reveal Controversy

Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Early DLC Reveal Was a Shocker, But the Controversy That's Followed Isn't

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is getting a paid expansion shortly after its release, and the reception to it online has been about as positive as you'd expect.

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By Ediz Guner

Pokemon Gen 10 Will Be The End of An Era

pokemon-gen-10-calm-ocean-wind-game-rant

Pokemon Gen 10 leaks are credible, considering the source. While things may change over time, the documents mentioned how Gen 9 had issues when trying to make DLC for it because the game was not programmed to have any from the start, so every new game would be tailored with DLC in mind. Gen 8 got two, Gen 9 got two, and Pokemon Legends: Z-A will get one at the very least, two if leaks are correct. All things considered, these would be the likely costs of Gen 10 games when they come out:

$80-90 for the base game, as Pokemon Gen 10 is reportedly a Switch 2 exclusive, and this would be in line with the MSRP for Mario Kart World. Also, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is $70 for the Switch 2.
$30 per DLC, with one DLC being basically confirmed, and two being very likely.
$19.99 for one year of Nintendo Switch Online to benefit from online-exclusive content and access to trading.

What this means is that Pokemon Gen 10 games will most likely cost around $130 at best with the base game, just one DLC, and one year of NSO subscription, and $190 at worst with the base game, two DLC, and two years of NSO subscription. Nintendo Switch Online is becoming more and more "mandatory" to fully enjoy Pokemon games, and this is particularly true for those who wish to complete their Pokedex. Since Pokemon games have always been typically accessible for all fans, this price hike could signal the end of an era.

It's worth noting that a subscription for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack costs $49.99 for one year, so if fans want that option, the cost for Gen 10 will be $160 at best and $250 at worst.

Say Goodbye to Completing Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Pokedex

In fact, Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Pokedex cannot be completed without Nintendo Switch Online, and without it, players can't even get the new Mega Greninja in Season 1 of Ranked Battles, Mega Delphox in Season 2, and Mega Chesnaught in Season 3. This is because the game includes a plethora of trade-exclusive evolutions, so even though it doesn't have version exclusives like Gen 10 will most likely do, it still forces players to get NSO to beat the game.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A's trade codes make things easier for those who can trade, but the issue ahead of Gen 10 remains.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Approach Spells Bad News for Gen 10

This sets a bad precedent, as the leaked Pokemon Wind and Wave games for Gen 10 will inevitably have a lot of online-exclusive content. Between version-exclusive Pokemon that need to be traded and online content like Raids, which are leaked to be a big part of the games, Gen 10 is bound to be an expensive generation — and that's without the cost of a Nintendo Switch 2, which is reportedly mandatory to play in the first place.

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