How to evolve Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus

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There's a new trick to making your Pokemon evolve in Arceus

Evolving Rufflet in Braviary in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

If you're wondering how to evolve a Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, then don't fret - it's different. Anyone who's played a Pokemon game for a while will find that Pokemon Legends: Arceus does things a little differently to previous titles. 

That's right, in previous Pokemon games, a Pokemon will automatically evolve whenever it hits whatever criteria it needs to evolve, be it a specific move count, or reaching a certain level. Figuring out how to make each of the entries in the Pokemon Legends: Arceus Pokedex evolve is just part of the puzzle. 

However, that's not the case for Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Instead, you're given the choice when you'd like to evolve your Pokemon. The game will alert you whenever a Pokemon is ready to evolve, and then when you're ready to evolve that Pokemon you do the following:

Press Up on the D-Pad to open your inventory > select the Pokemon you'd like to evolve from your Party > Hit X to evolve > Confirm that you want it to evolve.

You'll then be able to enjoy the brand new evolution cutscene and add that new creature to your Pokedex. Make sure to keep an eye on your Party regularly as there are new evolution unlocks available in this game that aren't related to evolution items or levelling. Some of these can be found below:

Sam Loveridge
Sam Loveridge
Brand Director, GamesRadar+

Sam Loveridge is the Brand Director and former Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar. She joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.