Pokémon X & Y Legacy Releasing November 2026

The Pokémon franchise has been through all sorts of ups and downs over the years, but generally, it has provided us with a pretty good time. Some of the more divisive entries in the series to date are Pokémon X & Y, which debuted back in 2013 as the first mainline Pokémon games in full 3D.

There was plenty of criticism at the time, for the story and default difficulty in particular, with many feeling that the developer had failed to hit the same heights as previous efforts. That said, there was still plenty to like, and there were many areas of strength that it would have been great to explore further as a player.

Happily, a new release is coming along that puts a fresh spin on the whole thing, and it could be one of the most exciting arrivals of the next year or more.

As first reported by GameRant, ROM hack Pokémon X and Y Legacy has been given a release date of November 26, showing developers what it’s like to not be frightened by the impending arrival of GTA VI in the process. It’s the same team that previously worked on Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald Legacies, all of which updated the gameplay without fundamentally changing the experience.

That’s absolutely the most appropriate order of the day for the original games, which had really brilliant foundations but failed on the overall execution. The big change in this latest effort addresses the issues with difficulty, adding a new Pokémon Hard mode that makes restrictive changes to the battle systems to increase the overall difficulty significantly.

Gym Leaders will also be more challenging this time around, and any that you face after the fourth gym will make use of Mega Evolutions. The latter does remain largely unchanged from the original though, in news that actually feels quite understandable in the context of the base games.

You can find the trailer for the game on the SmithPlays Pokémon YouTube channel, and the responses from fans are already very positive.

“I just finished playing through Johto in Crystal Legacy and it was genuinely one of the most fun Pokémon experiences I’ve had in a long time despite never playing Crystal, only the gen 4 remakes. I can’t wait to get my hands on a game of similar quality that I actually have nostalgia from playing as a kid,” one comment read.

While another added, “Honestly, I absolutely don’t need new events in these Legacy games. Just knowing I can make whatever team I think is cool because the learn sets and stats will be well thought about. Being able to complete the Pokédex and the better cooler fights is all I want personally!”

It could also be one of the best ways to fill your time while we wait for Pokémon Winds and Waves, with that expected to drop in the back half of next year.

Pokemon X and Y