Brilliant Hunt is a favorite pastime for many Pokémon fans. Finding these rare creatures with different shades and color palettes than their species’ default appearance is such a complex undertaking, with secret mathematics and other nonsense to deal with, that some people spend hours searching for just one of these types. Others spend even more time trying to find one of each ‘mon in the Pokédex. Pokémon Legends: ZA was released today, and players discovered that the RPG made a crucial change to Shiny hunting that took some of the difficulty out of that process, and while some fans rejoice, others lament how much easier it has become to capture these alternate-colored Pokémon.
When you enter Legends: ZAWild Areas, designated areas where wild Pokémon live and can be captured, typically each monster you encounter is refreshed when the game’s day and night cycle changes, your party is eliminated, or if you travel quickly. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Shinyes. Players tested this on Pokémon they found in the overworld, and it seems that unless you defeat it in battle, Shiny Pokémon don’t disappear.
I found a shiny Magikarp. I changed night to make it go away and came back to day and it was still there.
I traveled quickly and came back and he was still there.
I had my character eliminated and I came back and he was still there.
Appreciate pic.twitter.com/tA42rUM9iv
– SBCoop (@SBCoop89) October 15, 2025
LZA has a special behavior to prevent shiny Pokémon from disappearing! This appears to be intentional. The game hides up to 10 shiny Pokémon and prevents them from disappearing if you leave the area.
Essentially, the non-glossy ones are revived, but the shiny ones aren’t, as you can see here in this clip. pic.twitter.com/FHo3uqAR7R
-Anubis (@Sibuna_Switch) October 16, 2025
I can confirm that too! 🤯
I thought I accidentally deleted a shiny because the sound was playing while I was already going up the stairs to a new area – I came back down and it was still there!!
I love that they added brilliant built-in security! it’s HUGE#PokemonLegendsZA https://t.co/0OroFXjVuc pic.twitter.com/F6DG8XvvDk
– Junzz (@junzztv) October 16, 2025
This means that there is now much less risk when hunting Shinys, as Legends: ZA goes out of its way to make sure you have a chance to interact with these monsters before they disappear forever. However, it is always possible to lose a Shiny. If you knock it out or scare off a wayward Pokémon, that’s it. SO a few the risk remains.
As hunting for Shiny has become easier thanks to items like the Shiny Charm, which increases their (still tiny) spawn rates, longtime fans have stopped viewing collecting these rare Pokémon as a badge of honor, while others are simply happy that they have become less frustrating to catch. Missing a Shiny can be devastating, and any screw up can lead to viral momentsbut would you rather have a funny story or a Shiny Pokémon in your collection?
It’s not just a quality of life update. It’s the death of a legend.
The thrill of finding a brilliant was always amplified by the heartbreaking risk of losing it.
By removing the risk, they guaranteed the reward. But they also removed the story you would tell for the…
– CRISPRKing (@CRISPRKING) October 16, 2025
am I the only one who feels like this cheapens the value of a gloss? like what’s the point now
– Sara ✌️ (@itssaramuat) October 16, 2025
….. BROTHER pic.twitter.com/dEIyqDN8d0
– Ukena 😎 (@BigUkena) October 16, 2025
Although this is new for Legends: ZAthe game also brought back an old Shiny hunting quality of life feature from Legends: Arceus that Scarlet And Purple deleted. Now, if a Shiny Pokémon appears nearby, you will hear a short jingle to let you know it is somewhere nearby. It always felt weird Scarlet And Purple I overlooked a feature that was particularly useful for colorblind players who might not be able to time a Shiny at first glance, so it’s nice to see Z.A. bring him back.
