"Pokémon Legends: Z-A" is getting a new season that will deliver the latest content, as well as a reset to its Ranked Battles. More importantly, this latest Season 13 will roll out the official ban on 25 Pokémon from participating in the game's online battles.
Over the past twelve seasons, players have had the chance to play most of the Pokémon they prefer to be part of their Battle Party. That is about to change.
'Pokémon Legends: Z-A' Officially Bans 25 Pokémon in Ranked
Based on the latest announcement from Game Freak, the Pokémon that players are eligible to add to their Battle Party include those part of the Lumiose Pokedex No. 001 to 227 and the Hyperspace Pokedex No. 001 - 112.
All other Pokémon who are not part of the list are banned or ineligible to add to one's party. Most of the Pokémon caught up in this latest ban are either Legendary or Mythical, a category the game has restricted before, though never quite this broadly all at once.
This is not the first time Legendaries and Mythicals have been pulled from competitive play, since the game has cycled through similar bans every few seasons since launch. What makes this particular ban notable is the timing.
Season 12 had actually allowed restricted Pokémon back into Ranked Battles with very few limitations, which led many players to assume Legendaries and Mythicals were sticking around for the long haul.
Instead, Season 13 resets things back to where the game started, pulling several Pokémon that only just received their first Mega Evolution in "Pokémon Legends: Z-A," including Mega Heatran and Mega Zeraora.
Game Freak and Nintendo have kept the game updated roughly every three weeks since its release, with each new season bringing a fresh ruleset alongside new rewards.
'Pokémon Legends: Z-A' Banned Pokémon List
According to GameRant, the following 25 Pokémon will no longer be usable in Ranked Battles once Season 13 goes live:
- Xerneas
- Yveltal
- Zygarde
- Diancie
- Mewtwo
- Heatran
- Volcanion
- Cobalion
- Terrakion
- Virizion
- Keldeo
- Meloetta
- Genesect
- Hoopa
- Marshadow
- Meltan
- Melmetal
- Darkrai
- Latias
- Latios
- Kyogre
- Groudon
- Rayquaza
- Magearna
- Zeraora
What to Expect from the Season 13 Update?
The ban lines up with a similar trend happening elsewhere in the franchise, since "Pokémon Champions" Regulation M-B also excludes Legendaries and Mythicals from its current ruleset.
Normally, competitive formats outside "Pokémon Legends: Z-A" allow Legendaries to be used as restricted Pokémon in limited numbers, but that option is not available here, leaving players with a noticeably smaller pool to draw from for the time being.
Looking back, Season 8 stood out for taking a different approach entirely, restricting Ranked Battles to only Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution rather than banning specific species outright.
If the current back-and-forth pattern continues, some of these 25 Pokémon could return as early as Season 14, with most or all expected to be available again by Season 15 before another wave of restrictions likely returns sometime after that.
