26 January 2026

Z-A Comp When January 29 Comes

By newsgame

Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Dimension DLC is seemingly not getting major updates for the foreseeable future outside of new rewards, codes for free items, and ranked seasons. However, these can still fundamentally change how the game plays and feels when played, especially with how the meta is changing in competitive. Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Season 6 will start shortly, on January 29, and it’s already confirmed to be a bloodbath. With several new meta-warping Legendaries, the game will never be the same, and all the fun you had in ranked battles is most likely to be over.

Before diving into how the restricted Legendaries will impact the meta, let’s set the stage by reviewing the Season 5 meta. As of now, the game revolves around powerhouse attackers who can hit hard and fast, such as the Swords of Justice, Volcanion, and Magearna. With Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Evolutions still playing a major role, it’s clear that the focus is on heavy offensive threats, but the approach has been balanced by defensive checks and counterplay.

Volcanion brings both bulk and offensive power, often running Fire and Water moves to hit a wide variety of foes hard. It’s a tough Pokemon to break, especially with its Fire/Water typing.
Magearna has been a favorite pick due to its high Special Attack and wide movepool, which allows it to serve as both an offensive and support asset on teams. It also gained a new Mega Evolution in the game.
Armarouge has similarly found its place thanks to its Fire/Psychic typing and ability to hit hard while using items like Expert Belt, Life Orb, and Assault Vest paired with powerful moves like Armor Cannon, Psychic, and Meteor Beam.
Swampert has been an all-around solid pick in terms of both offense and utility, thanks to its access to Earthquake, Waterfall, and Stealth Rock. It’s a reliable choice for many teams.
The Swords of Justice have been staples for their high stats, offensive versatility, and the ability to hit hard with moves like Close Combat and Sacred Sword.
Baxcalibur is a great answer to many threats in the meta, and once powered up with Swords Dance, it can deal massive damage even against targets who don’t take super-effective damage from it.
Garchomp is Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s most OP Pokemon at the moment, and that’s because it packs incredible stats, a very strong Mega Evolution, and it can be used with lots of different items to improve its damage or survivability.

The meta has been shaped by these strong attackers, but with the restricted Legendary Pokemon coming soon, the focus will shift from maintaining balance to managing overwhelming power. These will be limited to one per team, but they will still be problematic additions to the game in terms of balance. The restricted Pokemon are:

Xerneas
Yveltal
Zygarde
Mewtwo
Groudon
Kyogre
Rayquaza

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Pokemon Legends: Z-A Looks Set to Rewrite the Unwritten Rules of Mega Evolution

With the gameplay changes Pokemon Legends: Z-A is making to the series’ formula, the best Mega Evolutions may look completely different.

Restricted Legendaries in Pokemon Legends: Z-A Are Officially Ruining The Game

Why Xerneas is OP in PLZA Ranked Battles

Xerneas enters the field as a Fairy-type powerhouse with access to Moonblast and Geomancy. While it may not have an ability like Fairy Aura in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Xerneas still brings an incredible offensive presence. Its ability to set up Geomancy, a move that boosts both Special Attack and its movement speed, allows it to sweep teams once it’s properly set up. Xerneas can overwhelm the current offensive staples like the Swords of Justice with its Fairy-type moves, as well as critters like Garchomp and Baxcalibur, as Moonblast is very effective against Fighting- and Dragon-types.

With the current meta relying heavily on powerful attackers, Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Xerneas will likely force teams to prepare countermeasures against its sweep potential. Expect to see more Steel- and Poison-types used as defensive answers, or even more priority users looking to shut it down before it becomes too much of a threat. Still, it has a wide movepool, including Thunderbolt and even the new TMs in Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s DLC.

How Mewtwo Could Reshape PLZA’s Ranked Battles

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One of the most iconic Pokemon in the franchise, Mewtwo brings enormous offensive power with its 120 base Special Attack and versatile movepool, including Psystrike, Shadow Ball, and Calm Mind. Since PLZA‘s Mega Mewtwo Y dominated the meta in Season 3, it’s likely that the Pokemon will again rise to prominence in Season 6.

Why You Shouldn’t Sleep on Zygarde in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

In Season 6, Zygarde’s combination of bulk and power will make it a strong defensive option against the likes of Xerneas and Mewtwo. While it may not boast any of the legendary abilities of other games, its sheer stats and impressive movepool will give it the flexibility to function both as a wall and a hitter, making it a solid choice for defensive and offensive setups alike. Mega Zygarde can also quickly delete opponents once its Mega form is triggered, as it has an incredible base Special Attack of 216 and OP moves.

How Groudon and Kyogre Can Wipe Out The Competition in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

With abilities cut from Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Groudon still brings one of the most powerful offensive presences in the game. Precipice Blades, Fire Punch, and Stone Edge provide excellent coverage, and Groudon will certainly remain a dominant physical attacker. Its Ground and Fire movepool will allow it to hit Fire-, Steel-, and Rock-types incredibly hard. On top of that, Primal Groudon will also be accessible.

Kyogre, without its Primordial Sea ability, still represents one of the most consistent special attackers in the game. With Origin Pulse, Ice Beam, and Thunder, it has great coverage and is capable of hitting hard against both offensive and defensive teams. Kyogre will fill the role of a bulky Water-type attacker, leveraging its Special Attack to break through walls and counter Fire-types like Groudon. Primal Kyogre will still be a top-tier choice for most teams, with very few counters.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Mega Rayquaza is About to Break The Game

Without abilities, Rayquaza still boasts incredible Speed and offensive coverage. Dragon Ascent and Extreme Speed will make it a huge threat to anything that doesn’t outspeed it or pack a Priority move. Rayquaza’s combination of Flying and Dragon moves will put immense pressure on the current meta, where Dragon-types and Flying-types are still highly relevant. More importantly, Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Rayquaza doesn’t have a Mega Stone, but it can still Mega Evolve just by having Dragon Ascent as one of its moves.

Possibly more importantly still, this means that anyone can use items when using and battling Mega Rayquaza. A Focus Sash will make it so Ice-type moves won’t be able to one-shot it, and the same goes for boosted moves from Xerneas, Garchomp, Baxcalibur, and other common meta threats. Its addition may be the make-or-break moment for PLZA‘s competitive scene, and there is no going back, unfortunately.