Pokémon Legends: Z-A just came out a few weeks ago, and as folks are still working through it and digesting how it fares in the greater franchise, Nintendo hits us with a DLC date announcement. It looks like the Mega Dimension story add-on is coming way sooner than we thought.

According to the DLC’s newest trailer on YouTube, it’ll launch on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. As a reminder, the Mega Dimension DLC was announced before the game even came out, and focuses on two new forms of Raichu, as well as Hoopa, the mythical trickster Pokémon that was introduced in the sixth generation of the series.

Everything We Know About Mega Dimension

It Was Previously Slated For February

Strangely, Nintendo previously announced Mega Dimension as arriving on February 28, 2026, but it appears that plans have changed for some reason, and the release date has been moved up. Now it’s slated for December 10, which is just a few weeks away and much closer to the launch of the original game.

So far, the confirmed Pokémon for Mega Dimension are:

Hoopa
Mega Raichu X
Mega Raichu Y
Mega Chimecho
Mega Baxcalibur
Galarian Mr. Mime

Here’s a quick spoiler-free overview of the setup:

Spatial distortions have suddenly appeared throughout Lumiose City! These distortions appear to connect to a mysterious space, but the true nature of this strange phenomenon is unknown. It’s up to you and your friends in Team MZ to investigate.

The big change is that you’ll now investigate an “otherworldly, not quite Lumiose City,” which will seemingly remix, but not fully remake, the base game’s city setting. Additionally, the trailer seems to fully confirm that the DLC will not take place in a new location. A new trainer, Korrina, will enter the fray, and trainers can potentially break the level 100 limit, as shown in the new trailer at the 2:31 mark.

DLC For The Pokémon Series Doesn’t Have A Set Pattern

Previously, It Was “Third Version” Of Games

The Pokémon Company and Game Freak are kind of all over the place when it comes to DLC plans. In the past, the studio would typically sell a “third version” of mainline games, complete with extras, similar to a DLC package. As time went on, they sometimes sold them as single or double-pack experiences, similar to how Mega Dimension is being released in December.

In any case, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a spinoff, so it makes sense that it’s getting a swifter, more muted DLC release. Pokémon Legends: Arceus didn’t even get DLC (just a big post-launch content update), so it further demonstrates how there’s no set pattern.