Pokemon Legends Z-A DLC Kills Overload Shiny Hunting Method, Adds 6 New Techniques
Pokemon Legends Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC removed the overload shiny hunting method but introduced 6 new techniques. Here's how to hunt shinies in Hyperspace Lumiose.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Dimension DLC just dropped, and within hours, shiny hunters discovered some devastating news: the game’s best shiny hunting method has been eliminated. But before you panic, the expansion also introduces six brand-new hunting techniques that might be even better.
Here’s everything you need to know about what changed, what’s gone, and how to adapt your shiny hunting strategy.
What Got Removed: The Overload Method is Dead
The infamous “overload method” that dominated Wild Zone 20 shiny hunting has been completely patched out with the 2.0 update.
How the Overload Method Worked:
- Players pulled multiple Pokemon away from spawn points
- Different Pokemon spawned in their place
- Repeating this process drastically increased Pokemon density in an area
- Most famously used to spawn six Alpha Pokemon under the Wild Zone 20 tower (instead of the usual two)
Why this matters: Wild Zone 20’s tower featured almost 70 different Alpha Pokemon species, making it the go-to spot for hunting rare shiny Alphas.
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Important note: If you still have overloaded spawn points active (including multiple Alphas), they’ll remain until you catch or defeat them. Once they’re gone, you can’t recreate the overload.
Good news for bench fans: Shiny hunting with benches remains completely viable and unchanged.
What Is the Mega Dimension DLC?
Before diving into the new shiny hunting methods, here’s what the DLC adds:
Hyperspace Lumiose Basics:
- Access unlocked after beating the base game via Hotel Z’s rooftop
- Enter using Ansha’s donuts and Hoopa’s powers
- Features returning Pokemon from the base game plus new species
- Significantly more challenging than base game content
How Donuts Work (Critical for Shiny Hunting):
Your donut quality determines three crucial factors:
- Pokemon level cap (over level 100 is possible and necessary)
- Catch rate difficulty
- Time limit in each area (up to 6+ minutes with 5-star donuts)
Pro tip: Better berries + higher star ratings (1-5) = more time for shiny hunting. Always craft the best donuts possible.
Hyperspace Lumiose Mechanics:
- Areas reset at sunrise/dawn and nightfall (use benches to force resets)
- Each area is timed based on donut quality
- Some areas have fast-travel fly points
- Pokemon can be shiny and make the shiny sound
- You can preview Pokemon species before entering an area
The 6 New Best Shiny Hunting Methods in Pokemon Legends Z-A
The community has already identified six powerful techniques for hunting shinies in the Mega Dimension DLC:
1. Fast-Travel Method (Easiest)
Best for: Areas with fly points near Pokemon spawns
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How it works:
- Enter a Hyperspace area with a fly access point
- Check Pokemon within 50 meters of the entrance
- Fast-travel to the same entrance to reset all nearby Pokemon
- Repeat until you find a shiny
Bonus: Loading screen time doesn’t count against your area timer.
2. Soft Reset Method (Time-Intensive)
Best for: Areas with 4+ minutes on the timer
Requirements: At least 3 minutes remaining (ideally 4+)
How it works:
- Find the Pokemon horde you want to hunt
- Defeat them all
- Save every 10-15 seconds for 2-3 minutes (until they respawn)
- Don’t save as they respawn or after
- If not shiny, close the game and restart
- Repeat until successful
Important: Each Pokemon species has different respawn timers (typically 2-3 minutes).
3. Teleportation Method (Spam-Friendly)
Best for: Cityscape areas with ground-level elevators
How it works:
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- Find ground-level teleporters with significant distance between them
- Spamming teleportation spawns new Pokemon within 50 meters
- Despawns Pokemon over 70 meters away
- Use turbo controllers or spam A button on Switch/Switch 2
Why it’s effective: Teleportation animations don’t consume your timer—only walking around does.
Note: Won’t work in sewer areas; only functions in actual cityscape zones.
4. Spawn and Despawn Method (Scout Style)
Best for: Thorough area exploration
How it works:
- Save immediately upon entering Hyperspace Lumiose
- Walk around to trigger spawns (Pokemon appear within 50 meters)
- Scout for shinies throughout the entire area
- If no shinies appear, close game and restart
- Repeat the process
Remember: Pokemon despawn when you’re 70+ meters away.
5. Sparkling Power Method (Type-Specific Boost)
Best for: Hunting specific Pokemon types
How it works:
- Craft donuts that are very sweet and hit high calorie thresholds
- Triggers Hoopa’s Sparkling Power effect (similar to Scarlet/Violet shiny sandwiches)
- Dramatically increases shiny rates for specific Pokemon types
- Check area previews to match your Sparkling Power type
Credit: Popular content creator Austin John Plays discovered the calorie threshold trigger.
Strategy: Since Hyperspace areas tell you which types spawn there, you can perfectly match your Sparkling Power donut to the Pokemon you’re hunting.
6. Catch a Shiny Task (Guaranteed Shiny)
Best for: Guaranteed encounters
How it works:
- Rare survey task: “Catch Shiny Pokemon 0/1”
- Means a shiny is guaranteed to spawn in that instance
- Works like the guaranteed shiny Mareep from base game
- Just explore until you find it
This is the only guaranteed shiny method in the DLC.
Quick Comparison: Old vs. New Methods
| Method | Still Available? | Difficulty | Time Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overload (Wild Zone 20) | ❌ Removed | Easy | Low |
| Bench Method | ✅ Still works | Easy | Low |
| Fast-Travel | ✅ New | Very Easy | Very Low |
| Soft Reset | ✅ New | Medium | High |
| Teleportation | ✅ New | Easy | Low |
| Spawn/Despawn | ✅ New | Easy | Medium |
| Sparkling Power | ✅ New | Medium | Medium |
| Catch Shiny Task | ✅ New | Easy | N/A (Guaranteed) |
Best Shiny Hunting Strategy for Mega Dimension DLC
Here’s the optimal approach:
- Craft 5-star donuts with good berries for maximum time
- Check area previews to find your target Pokemon
- Use Sparkling Power donuts matching the Pokemon type
- Look for fast-travel fly points in that area
- Spam fast-travel method if available, otherwise use teleportation
- Always check for “Catch Shiny” tasks before starting regular hunts
Pro tip: Combine methods. Use Sparkling Power + Fast-Travel for the most efficient hunts.
What This Means for the Pokemon Legends Z-A Meta
The removal of the overload method initially seemed devastating, but the DLC’s new mechanics actually provide:
- More control over which Pokemon you hunt (area previews)
- Higher efficiency with fast-travel and teleportation
- Guaranteed shinies via survey tasks
- Type-specific boosts through Sparkling Power
While Alpha shiny hunters will miss Wild Zone 20’s overload trick, the new methods offer unprecedented precision in shiny hunting.
Related gaming news: Check out Battlefield 6’s movement controversy and Call of Duty’s ending of back-to-back releases.
While Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Mega Dimension DLC killed the beloved overload method, it replaced it with six new shiny hunting techniques that offer more control and efficiency. The fast-travel and Sparkling Power methods are particularly powerful, and the guaranteed shiny tasks provide a safety net for dedicated hunters. Adapt your strategy, craft quality donuts, and the shinies will come.
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