Pokémon Legends: Arceus reportedly doesn’t have EVs or IVs, according to leaks

A Pokémon dataminer has claimed that Pokémon Legends: Arceus will not feature Effort Values (EVs) nor Individual Values (IVs) — two “hidden stats” featured in every mainline Pokémon title that determine each Pokémon’s effectiveness in battle. Rather, the game will reportedly introduce a new stat, Effort Levels, that seems to serve a similar purpose.

Pokémon dataminer Abyzab, who seems to have obtained a pre-release copy of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, shared this information on Sunday, alongside screenshots that appear to show how Effort Levels are displayed when viewing a Pokémon’s information.

The leaker claimed that each Pokémon would boast random base Effort Level values upon being caught, much like how Pokémon in mainline games have randomized IVs upon being captured. Effort Levels appear to operate similarly to both EVs and IVs in that each of a Pokémon’s six stats is assigned an Effort Level that, when increased, grants a boost to its respective stat.

However, the alleged new stat seems to differ slightly from the IV system. In prior games, Pokémon’s IVs were typically static; they could only be increased through Hyper Training. In Legends: Arceus, it appears you can modify Effort Levels with specific types of items, based on Abyzab’s claim.

Furthermore, the leaker claimed players would be able to max out all six of a particular Pokémon’s Effort Levels, which seemingly distinguishes it from the EV stat seen in prior games. Previous Pokémon games limited the total number of EVs a Pokémon could accumulate across its six stats to 510 EVs. As each stat has a maximum threshold of 252 EVs, one could only max out the EVs for two of their Pokémon’s six stats.

Related: Pokémon Legends: Arceus exact release time, when can you pre-load, and file size

It’s worth noting that this information is derived from a dataminer who allegedly obtained a pre-release copy of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Neither Nintendo, Game Freak, nor The Pokémon Company have confirmed this information. We are unable to independently confirm the existence of this mechanic, as we do not presently have a copy of the game.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is set to launch on January 28, but many are already playing the first open-world Pokémon title. Physical copies of the game allegedly leaked more than a week before the game’s release date. As such, many details surrounding the game have seemingly leaked as well, including changes to the evolution system, a few new weather types, and a space-time distortion mechanic that reportedly spawns rare Pokémon.