Mega Excadrill is one of nearly 50 Mega Evolutions available exclusively in Pokémon Legends: ZA. VGC is currently being played in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, so none of these Pokémon are currently available in VGC, the series' competitive format.
However, this will change with the upcoming release of Pokémon Champions (scheduled for release in 2026). Champions is the sequel to Pokémon Stadium and is a completely combat-focused game. Going forward, Champions will become the permanent home of competitive Pokémon battles, a huge change for the ever-growing VGC community.
Mega Xcard Drill could be a major threat
According to 2016 Pokémon World Champion (and possibly the greatest player of all time) Wolfe Glick, Mega Excadrill has the potential to become a meta staple when Pokémon Champions releases.
“Excadrill has a history of being an incredible Pokémon in competitive play,” Glick announced. The Mega version of the Mole gains extra power in Attack (+35), Defense (+40), Special Attack (+15), and Speed (+25). The attack and speed boosts are especially powerful since the base Excadrill is already a heavy hitter. However, there's a big question mark over how well Mega Excadrill will translate into traditional Pokémon battles.
Legends: ZA uses a real-time battle system, so Pokemon do not have abilities because they are not needed in a real-time system. When these Pokémon are moved to Pokémon Champions, they are granted the abilities needed for traditional battles.
One of Excadrill's potential abilities is Sand Rush, which increases its speed in sandstorms. This ability is why Excadrill is such a strong partner for Tyrannitar. This is because Tyrannitar's ability creates a sandstorm when switched.
“Whether Sand Rush sustains, worsens, or becomes better depends on its ability to do so,” Glick concludes.
Excadrill wasn't part of the World Championship winning team during VGC's black and white era, but he was very popular in several metas during that time. The duo of Excadrill and Tyrannitar are still playing today and have been part of every top 32 team in recent memory.
There is no doubt that Excadrill, with its higher stats and Sandstorm-boosted speed, will be a serious threat. We'll have to wait and see what abilities Game Freak gives the Pokémon.
