Gab Hernandez 
Leakers have reportedly uncovered a playable PC build of Pokemon Legends Z-A after the recent Game Freak hack, sparking discussions of a PC version. But is there any chance it comes out?
Reports of a massive data breach at Game Freak circulated began circulating on October 13, and were confirmed a few days later by the company. The breach saw confidential data such as personal employee information, concept art, and test builds for old or unreleased games leaked online. Since then, leakers and data miners have been sifting through over a terabyte’s worth of company data.
Gamers have likened the breach to the 2023 Insomniac Games leaks, which uncovered details on numerous projects and the inner workings of PlayStation Studios. Recently, leakers claim to have found a playable PC build of the company’s next major Pokemon game.
Fans shouldn’t get hopeful about an official PC version of Pokemon Legends Z-A
Reports claim a supposedly playable test build of Pokemon Legends Z-A exists online.
Multiple leakers corroborated the existence of the PC build. Media related to the leaked game has been extremely scarce thus far, save for an assortment of uncorroborated screenshots. The original leaker claims to have gotten it running on Nintendo Switch hardware but hasn’t released it. However, a PC-based version of the game is reportedly part of the leak, but isn’t playable on some hardware.
Some fans speculated it could indicate an actual PC release for Pokemon Legends Z-A, which would be a first for Nintendo. However, it’s highly unlikely a playable PC version of the game actually gets an official release. While it’s possible there’s a playable PC build of Pokemon Legends Z-A, it’s likely this is in early development. After all, most modern game development inevitably occurs on PC, even if the games themselves remain exclusive to consoles.
This was seen with Grand Theft Auto 6. A working, playable, early build of the game leaked online and was workable on PCs. However, GTA 6 does not have a PC release date and will be console-exclusive at launch.
These builds typically exist solely for testing purposes. They lack the polish or patches required for a proper port. Most of these PC test builds also require technology and security protocol keys, which are only available to the internal team. As such, these builds aren’t made for the average player and will often require a console devkit.
Mainline Pokemon titles remain exclusive to Nintendo systems after nearly three decades. While exceptions such as mobile games do exist, mainline Pokemon games like Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet officially remain on Nintendo consoles.
Fans have emulated several Pokemon titles over the past few years, and they still clamor for an official PC port someday. In the meantime, fans await more information about the Game Freak data breach.
