There are few things thatZeldafans want more than proper updates onThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.For a long time, it looked uncertain when exactly Nintendo was going to talk about theBreath of the Wildsequel, going silent after announcing the game at E3 2019. Finally, the game looks like it’s on the horizon. Nintendo addressed it at E3 2021 with a very exciting new trailer, giving a hint of what’s to come. Fans now know thatThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2will release in 2022. However, despite that major update, Nintendo hasn’t returned to the game or kept it at the forefront of Nintendo news since E3.
Although that’s surprising at a glance, there’s some good reason for that. Nintendo also just releasedThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD,a revival of a very importantZeldatitle. Odds are that Nintendo hasn’t been focused onBreath of the Wild 2because it wanted togiveSkyward Swordits time in the sun. That would certainly be in line with tons of theories claiming that there are connections betweenBreath of the Wild 2andSkyward Sword.Now thatSkyward Sword HDhas been released, Nintendo might finally start releasing sneak peeks at the newestZeldagame.
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Skyward Sword HD’s Impact
At first,Zeldafans were surprised thatSkyward Sword HDalone seemed to be Nintendo’s only planned celebration of theZeldafranchise during its 35th anniversary. In a way, it seems appropriate sinceSkyward Swordcelebrated the franchise’s 25th anniversary, but some fans were hopeful that they’d get a larger collection of classicZeldagames on the Nintendo Switch. Even so,Skyward Swordturned out to be the perfect game to revisit. Nintendo contributed all kinds of changes and enhancements to the original game that fans are pleased with so far.
Skyward Swordis also thematically appropriate for fans to replay before they get their hands onBreath of the Wild 2.On top of mechanical innovations like crafting and the stamina wheel thatit contributed toBotW,it marks the beginning ofThe Legend of Zelda’s timeline. In contrast,BotWreunites the splinteredZeldatimeline, marking its potential end. Considering the floating islands that appear inBreath of the Wild 2,alongside other unanswered questions,manyZeldafans believe that story threads invented inSkyward Swordwill be at the heart ofBotW2.If that’s the case, it makes sense that Nintendo set aside July forSkyward Swordto get attention.
Frankly, there are also just practical reasons for Nintendo to focus on advertisingSkyward Sword HDinstead of mixing inBreath of the Wild 2teasers in the wake of E3.Breath of the Wild 2may not cannibalize sales fromSkyward Swordsince it’s not releasing at the same time, but trying to push information about both games at the same time could result inSkyward Swordgetting stifled. Although they’re both goodZeldadevelopments, the hype forBreath of the Wild 2is hard to compare to interest in a remaster. Now thatSkyward Sword HDis outand has had a few weeks to generate sales, Nintendo can start shifting its focus.
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Breath of the Wild 2 News Could Be Near
One wonders how much Nintendo will say aboutBreath of the Wild 2in the near future. On the one hand, it would stand to reason that Nintendo still keeps its cards pretty close to the chest for now. Although it made a big reveal with the E3 2021 trailer, it might only release tiny teasers aboutBreath of the Wild 2over the course of August 2021 and the following months. Even so, the tiniest bits of information about the game would be coveted byZeldafans.Theorycrafting aboutBotW2’s plotwould be stoked by any amount of screenshots or teaser trailers that Nintendo releases, so it might settle for small amounts of publicity that keep the conversation aroundBotW2alive.
The Next Steps for the Zelda Franchise
Skyward Swordmay be controversial for its motion controls and some other gameplay elements, but its importance to theZeldafranchise can’t be denied.Skyward Sword HDserves as an important reminderfor fans of how much theZeldafranchise has grown over the last ten years while offering Nintendo an opportunity to showcase its growth by updatingSkyward Sword.Even ifBreath of the Wild 2doesn’t tie intoSkyward Sword’s plot, the latter game is a good contrast to the upcoming game.Breath of the Wild 2is an acclaimedZeldatitle, but it stands on the shoulders of the games that came before it.
It’s possible that Nintendo remains silent through August, and perhaps even through the rest of the year. However, fans should remain optimistic that that won’t be the case. Nintendo has a great runway forBreath of the Wild 2publicityahead of it withSkyward Sword HDwrapped up, so it might as well jump on the opportunity. At the very least, the closer 2022 gets, the more likely it is that moreBreath of the Wild 2information comes forward. Eventually, Nintendo will have to give fans a better picture of the game’s plot and release date. Hopefully, it does so much sooner than expected.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2releases for Nintendo Switch in 2022.
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