The highs and lows of Pokemon Legends: Z-A's pre-release hype had my head spinning between the excitement of new Mega Evolutions and the disappointment at the methods for obtaining some of them. A huge item on my wish list for Pokemon Legends: Z-A was new Megas for the Kalos starters, and I was very happy with the result when they were finally revealed. However, like many fans, I was worried about the fact that locking the Mega Stones for those mons behind Pokemon Legends: Z-A's online ranked battles could mean those Megas would be too far out of reach to ever obtain.
As a frequent competitive Pokemon player and experienced ranked multiplayer gamer who has invested hundreds of hours in games like Splatoon 3, I'm well aware of the potential pitfalls and struggles that come with trying to compete with other players to climb a ranked ladder. Even before Pokemon Legends: Z-A was released, I was preparing for a long grind to try and earn Mega Greninja before the first season ended. I am happy to report that my fears were unfounded, and earning Mega Greninja from Pokemon Legends: Z-A's online battles is far easier than I was anticipating, which I am truly thankful for.
I Was Worried Mega Greninja Would Be A Tough Grind, But It's Surprisingly Easy to Get
Hopping into Pokemon Legends: Z-A's ranked battles offered me a great chance to test out my mastery of the new active battle system. You can access the Z-A Battle Club and ranked battles from the Link Play menu after meeting Mable for the first time. This let me jump into battles right away and start earning points towards ranking up and unlocking Mega Greninja. While being as weak as I was didn't net me any wins or very many points at this stage in my journey, there were a surprising number of opportunities available to earn them.
How to Earn Mega Greninja from Ranked Battles in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
- Reach rank K in the Z-A Battle Club before Season 1 ends
- Rank up by earning points
- Ranks do not decay once achieved
Starting at rank Z, the goal for any player only interested in getting Mega Greninja is to hit rank K in the online battle circuit, as reaching this rank unlocks Greninjite as a reward. This was my initial goal, but I think I can aim even higher given how easy it was to earn points towards ranking up. You can earn points from more than just wins in Pokemon Legends: Z-A's ranked battles, with other actions during battle rewarding points as well, including:
- Deal the first attack
- Deal the last attack
- Be the first to Mega Evolve
- Be the first to claim an item
- Defeat a Pokemon of each opponent
- Use supereffective moves 5 or more times
- Defeat a Mega-Evolved Pokemon
- Land the most attacks in battle
- Attack the most full-health Pokemon
- Defeat an opponent with a Mega-Evolved Pokemon
- Have no Pokemon faint in battle
- Earn points for each KO earned in battle
While coming in first grants 30 points, and second 10 points, players can still earn plenty more points without placing that high. Even as weak as I was, I still earned points from claiming an item first and using a supereffective move 5 times. Between placing first or second and earning bonus points during battle, it seems like the average player should only need to participate in about 10 ranked battles total to reach rank K and access Mega Greninja.
Season 1 of the Z-A Battle Club runs from October 17 to November 6. Players will have to reach rank K in that time to obtain Greninjite.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Ranked Battle System Eases My Biggest Fear About Online Matches
My main concern with grinding ranks for Mega Greninja in Pokemon Legends: Z-A was the potential for me to lose and slide down the ladder on my way to reaching rank K. Fortunately, Pokemon Legends: Z-A's online ranked battles don't penalize you for losing once you hit a certain rank, so once you hit a given rank, you can't backslide into a lower one. I breathed a sigh of relief seeing this, since nothing is more frustrating than getting on a bad losing streak and undoing all of your hard work in any ranked game mode.
I Don't Mind Having Rewards Tied to Battle Rank After Claiming Greninjite
Without having to worry about losing ranks after a bad match-up, it doesn't bother me that some rewards like Mega Stones will be locked behind online battles. While I can understand that it's disappointing that you will still need to pay for Nintendo Switch Online to access the Z-A Battle Club in the first place, the actual work of grinding for ranks each season shouldn't be too much of a challenge for even the most casual of Pokemon fans.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- October 16, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
