Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 delayed to 2023

By

The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been delayed. The game will now launch in spring 2023, though it still doesn’t have a firm release date.

Launch Timing Update for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel

The highly-anticipated Zelda game was originally slated for a 2022 launch, though Nintendo had yet to share a specific timing window. That led fans to speculate that a delay could be incoming. Nintendo confirmed those worries with a short video updating the game’s release plans.

Recommended Videos

In the video, producer Eiji Aonuma states the delay bluntly, though doesn’t give a reason for it. He notes that the team is working diligently on the sequel and apologizes for the delay, but that’s about all fans get from the 90-second clip.

Related

The video does contain a small tidbit of footage from the game, which includes some brand new footage. First, we see some clips from the E3 2021 trailer with Link teleporting to the sky. Then, we see a quick clip of Link approaching a pool of light and taking out what appears to be a destroyed or corrupted Master Sword. That few seconds of footage raises a whole slew of new questions, as Aunoma states that the game has “new gameplay elements” during the clip.

While the lack of Zelda in 2022 is a blow to gamers, it shouldn’t make too much of a difference for Nintendo. The company is currently in the midst of a banner year having already released Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. With Nintendo Switch Sports, Splatoon 2, Bayonetta 3, and more coming, Switch owners will likely be busy until spring 2023.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Giovanni Colantonio
Giovanni Colantonio
Section Editor, Gaming
Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…
Nintendo Switch 2: 5 features we want in the next-gen console
Prime Day Nintendo Switch Deals

Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 (or Switch Pro) have been circulating for years.  Whispers of the next-gen Nintendo console first started when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was first teased in 2019, gained steam when the Switch OLED launched in 2021, and are increasing now that the standard Switch has been out for six years.

There's no doubt that the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console -- it has a unique and impressive game library (with more upcoming games slated for this year), the number of features included with Nintendo Switch Online is constantly improving, and it's still our favorite portable console -- but it isn't without its flaws. There's enough room for improvement that would warrant an entirely new console in the near future. Nintendo recently announced that we won't see a Switch upgrade in the next fiscal year, meaning the absolute earliest we get a look at a new Nintendo console would be in late 2024.

Read more
Nintendo Direct June 2023: how to watch and what to expect
Pikmin 4 release date

There has been a lot of online debate about whether or not Nintendo would host a full-fledged Nintendo Direct this month. Well, we don't need to argue about it anymore: It's true.

Nintendo announced that a full Nintendo Direct presentation will take place on June 21, giving us more insight into upcoming exclusives like Pikmin 4, as well as other games in the works for the system. We don't know much about Nintendo's fall game lineup right now, so this showcase should be quite exciting.

Read more
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is almost perfect, but it could use these tweaks
Link looking shocked holding rice.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a monumental game. It unleashes player creativity with Ultrahand and Fuse, features three vast open worlds for players to explore, and still tells a rich and enthralling story that expands the mythology of The Legend of Zelda series. Still, no game is perfect. While Tears of the Kingdom will likely go down as my game of the year for 2023 and potentially one of my favorite games ever, there are still a few things that the game could do better.

And no, I’m not talking about removing weapon degradation. After spending hours upon hours with Tears of the Kingdom, some user experience quirks became more annoying and noticeable. None of them are game-breaking, but they are still areas where Nintendo can stand to improve as it updates and expand upon Tears of the Kingdom or potentially do another game in this style. Here's what I hope to see change to make this version of Zelda an even smoother and more seamless experience.
Make disconnecting Ultrahand creations easier
Ultrahand is a revelation for Tears of the Kingdom that allows players to create some really creative things and solve puzzles in any way their minds can imagine. That said, one aspect of its controls still baffles me: the only way to "Unstick" objects stuck to each other is by moving the right stick back and forth or shaking a Joy-Con remote. It's a bafflingly clunky way to do things for what is otherwise such a delicate and precise building system.

Read more