Image via Nintendo

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the almost ambitious title in the franchise still, taking place in the aboriginal past and introducing new variants of classic Pokémon. To properly prepare before yous head out to the Hisui region, below is everything y'all will demand to know near the release time of the game, when you lot can pre-load information technology, and what is the file size.

When can you pre-load Pokémon Legends: Arceus?

Screenshot from Pokemon Legends Arceus
Image via Nintendo

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is bachelor to pre-load for digital players right now on the Nintendo Switch. You lot can purchase the game on the Nintendo eShop, and download it ahead of its release date. Pre-loading won't make the game playable for you; information technology volition only make the game available to play equally shortly every bit the release appointment hits.

Pre-loading bonus

Image via The Pokemon Company

If you lot download the game on the Nintendo eShop before March, you will exist gifted with a Serial Code for thirty Heavy Balls.

Related: Pokemon Legends: Arceus Pre-order Bonus Guide – Which retailers provide which pre-order bonuses?

Pokémon Legends: Arceus verbal release time — When can you play it?

Image via Nintendo/YouTube

If yous have Pokémon Legends: Arceus pre-loaded digitally, and then you can play it almost instantly on its release date, January 28. Typically, a digital game becomes available around midnight the night before the release day. But the timeframe in the US usually follows Eastern Standard Time, which means that players who follow the Pacific Standard Fourth dimension tin can play the game a few hours before the midnight release date.

Midnight ET is by and large 9 PM PT, then if yous alive in the Pacific Time Zone, you may be capable of playing the game early on. Withal, sometimes that doesn't always work with certain games, then you may all the same need to await for midnight.

File Size of Legends: Arceus

Pokemon Legends Arceus
Image via The Pokemon Company

The Pokémon Legends: Arceus pre-load file will non be taking too much infinite on your Switch. Early on signs testify the game'due south pre-load to be 6GB, though that does non include whatsoever potential twenty-four hour period 1 patch the game may receive on the release date. We will get a better agreement of the full file size of the game when it releases on Jan 25.