GameStop is staging a nationwide midnight launch for Pokemon Legends: Z-A, which will see it give away a piece of exclusive merch to all attendees. The mid-October 2025 release will be preceded by another GameStop event meant to commemorate the arrival of Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A locked down an October 16 release date back in late May. GameStop and all other national retailers in the U.S. have been accepting pre-orders since June 6.
GameStop Giving Away Tote Bags for Pokemon Legends: Z-A Midnight Launch
GameStop will hold a midnight launch for the next entry in the Pokemon franchise. Participating stores will open on October 16, at 12am ET. Consumers in the PST timezone will be able to pick up their copy of the game at the same time, i.e., 9pm on October 15. An exclusive Pokemon tote bag will be given to all customers who pick up their Pokemon Legends: Z-A GameStop pre-orders during the midnight launch.
GameStop's Pokemon Legends: Z-A Launch Plans
- October 15: Pokemon Launch Circuit
- Pokemon TCG Tournaments for kids and adults
- Winners get Pokemon TCG: Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box
- Beginning 4pm local time
- October 15/16: Pokemon Legends: Z-A midnight launch
- Exclusive Pokemon tote bags available with all in-person pickups and purchases of the game
- Beginning at 9pm PT / 12am ET
As previously announced, GameStop is sweetening the deal with another Pokemon Legends: Z-A pre-order bonus in the form of a digital item two-pack containing a Trench Coat and Pants Set. The cosmetics, usable in the upcoming title, are distributed in the form of a promo code. While details are currently scarce, recent entries in the franchise suggest Pokemon Legends: Z-A will mark the return of the Mystery Gifts system, allowing players to redeem promotional codes from the game itself.
The GameStop-exclusive Pokemon tote bag was previously promised as part of its pre-order bonuses. This suggests that it will be sent to everyone who places an advance order on the game rather than just those who participate in the midnight launch. Ahead of the event itself, the retailer is holding another edition of the Pokemon Launch Circuit, a Pokemon TCG tournament taking place in all participating GameStop locations, beginning on October 15, at 4pm local time. Winners will receive an Elite Trainer Box from the Pokemon TCG Mega Evolution expansion.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A returns players to Lumiose City, the central hub of the Kalos region. It will be available on both the Switch and Switch 2. As things currently stand, the spin-off is likely to mark the final major Pokemon release on the Switch, with the next mainline game being expected to debut as a Switch 2 exclusive.