Breath of the Wild 2 has been delayed to 2023 - TechnW3

A Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel is in the works!

We at iMore are absolutely stoked for the upcoming sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - one of the best Nintendo Switch games of all time. Unfortunately, Nintendo has only released a couple of short videos for the game but otherwise have been pretty tight-lipped about the plot and new mechanics. However, we've been able to ascertain quite a bit of information by scouring screenshots, videos, and the internet. Here's everything we've discovered about Breath of the Wild 2.

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The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild sequel

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This sequel has Link traveling around, exploring new places, and using new skills in his attempt to save the world.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2

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Update: March 29, 2022: Breath of the Wild sequel delayed until Spring 2023.

In a video released by Nintendo, Zelda series producer, Eiji Aonuma revealed that the team workingon the Breath of the Wild sequel has decided to extend its development time and plans to release the game in Spring 2023.

What we learned from Nintendo E3 2021

E3 2021 has come and gone bringing with it another look at Breath of the Wild 2. While the plot wasn't explained any further, we did get some glimpses at Link's new abilities, the villain, and new floating island locations.

Plus, something weird happens to Link's arm giving him new abilities that we didn't see in the original game. The Zelda team is aiming for a 2022 release date, but it's subject to change.

Nintendo's 2019 Breath of the Wild 2 announcement trailer

During the E3 2019 announcement trailer, we see Link and Zelda exploring some ruins in Hyrule. They soon find an underground lair where an ancient emaciated (or maybe even undead) figure adorned with Gerudo symbols sprawls backward with a ghostly hand clutching its chest. Once Link and Zelda get close enough, the evil figure seems to awaken; Zelda spins in terror, Link's hand starts glowing green, and we cut away to a view of Hyrule Castle quaking and rising from the ground in the distance.

Breath of the Wild 2 release date

During the E3 2021 presentation, Nintendo said it was aiming for a 2022 release date. However, on March 29, 2022 Nintendo released a short video where Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma stated that the game was delayed until sometime in Spring 2023. He further apologized for anyone who was hoping to play this year.

The Legend of Zelda series producer, Eiji Aonuma, has an update to share about the launch timing of the sequel to The Legend of #Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Please take a look. pic.twitter.com/7OhayhiuM9
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 29, 2022

"The adventure in this sequel will take place not just on the ground as in the previous game, but also in the skies above. However the expanded world goes beyond that, and there will be an even wider variety of features you can enjoy, including new encounters, and new gameplay elements. In order to make this game's experience something special, the entire development team is continuing to work diligently on this game, so please wait a while longer."

No specific date has been given yet, but we on the iMore gaming team will keep our ears to the ground and will update when we learn more.

Breath of the Wild sequel What happened to the Master Sword?

As part of the March 29, 2022 delay announcement, we got to see a short new clip previously unseen in which Link approaches a ball of yellow light and pulls the Master Sword out only for us to see that part of it has been eaten away. Theories are flying all over the internet trying to determine what has happened to it, but the real reason remains unknown.

Taking away the Master Sword's power or nerfing it make sense since this was a weapon that players had to work towards obtaining in Breath of the Wild. We'll likely be on a mission to restore its power in the sequel. That leaves us wondering how did the Master Sword get this way? Will this wake Fi (Skyward Sword) from the sword's slumber? We'll keep our eyes out for any news and will update when we learn more.

Is this a direct sequel?

Yes, this will be a direct sequel to the first game. The story apparently takes place two years after the events in Breath of the Wild.

Still no official title?

As strange as it might seem, Nintendo still hasn't revealed the official title for the sequel claiming that it might give away too much about the next adventure. In an interview with IGN, Nintendo of America senior product marketing manager Bill Trinen said, "Those subtitles… they start to give little bits of hints about maybe what's going to happen." Seems like a flimsy excuse to us. We'll eventually learn the title at some point and then the cat will be out of the bag anyway.

Link's glowing hand abilities

At the start of the Nintendo's E3 2021 Zelda trailer, it showed a green force overtaking Link's right arm. Then in later shots, we see him moving distant objects with said hand and even going through walls. Who knows what other unique abilities this arm can do.

This aligns with an idea for the original game that wasn't actually implemented. In some concept artwork that Nintendo showed at GDC 2017, we see Link with a hand that can morph into various weapons. This includes things like a bomb, arrow, hook shot, and more. It seems like we're seeing a refined version in the BotW2 teaser trailer.

Are there new tools and Sheikah Slate skills?

In the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, we got a brief glimpse of Link holding some kind of Dragon head-shaped item in his left hand and using it like a flamethrower against an enemy. With this being the case, there are likely other gadgets in the game as well.

We don't currently know if changes will be made to the Sheikah Slate. However, it's possible Link's glowing hand will take its place. Still, considering how central it was to the original game, it wouldn't be surprising to have more skills added. Maybe some hook shot skill, cloning tool, or animal hypnotizer? We'll keep our ears to the ground and will update you when we learn more.

Is the game open world again, or is it linear?

Breath of the Wild was all about the vast open world and exploration, and you could explore Hyrule freely without any real linear order. While this game will be a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, Nintendo did not reveal any details about whether it will continue that open-world exploration or have a more traditional formula found in previous Zelda games, with temples and dungeons that require specific items to progress. Our guess is that it will be a mix between the two, open-world exploration with more intensive locations to dive into. We'll update when we learn more.

Does it use the same map?

In the E3 2021 trailer, we got an up-close look at a Stone Talus on which Bokoblins had built a fort. The camera panned a bit during this shot, and we saw Death Mountain along with Dueling Peaks. As such, at least part of the game likely takes place on the Hylian map we're used to. Whether this is simply cutscenes or actually an area we get to explore is unknown.

We also got to see Link exploring floating islands and diving from way way way high up in the clouds. It's possible that there will be a mixture of old and new places to explore.

WIll there be more traditional dungeons than we saw in BotW?

It's hard to say at this point. However, in an interview with Kotaku, Eiji Aonuma explained some things the Zelda team learned while creating the Breath of the Wild.

One thing we learned from Breath of the Wild is that when we focused on creating a dungeon with multiple solutions, it turned into this great title. That's one thing I want to polish up and use for inspiration in the future.

It's possible that a deeper dive into dungeons would allow players to find multiple solutions to complete puzzles and make their way through the game. Considering that the lack of traditional dungeons was one of the biggest complaints from fans, it wouldn't be out of the question for Nintendo to put more complex dungeons in the sequel.

Who is the main villain?

It's more than likely the undead person from the teaser who has glowing red eyes. But who is this person?

You might notice a medallion with the Gerudo icon dangling beside him. Many people have taken this to mean that this undead figure is none other than Ganon himself since he was born a Gerudo, although we don't know for sure. However, it would make sense since we only saw Ganon's crazy giant forms and not his humanoid form in the first game.

Going back to the original teaser trailer, there's a brief flash of light at the 0:45 second mark that throws a shadowy silhouette on the wall. It seems to show what this undead person looked like when they were alive. There's also the creepy glowing hand that seems to be attached to his chest, which might indicate either a companion or another villain Link will need to face. We'll update you on who the sequel's main bad guy is as we learn more.

Do weapons still break?

We haven't learned the weapon mecahnic spcifics just yet. However, the sequel will likely employ something similar to what we experienced in the first game. We'll update you when we learn more.

Do you play as Link or Zelda?

The shots we've seen so far have only shown Link running around the map. And unfortunately, it seems Zelda might be playing the damsel in distress once again as she's shown falling into an abyss in the first teaser trailer.

Kotaku was able to ask producer Eiji Aonuma if Zelda would be playable in this sequel. He initially acted with surprise and maybe some confusion at the question, but then simply said, "I can't tell you." It looks like we'll have to wait and see how many playable characters there are.

Will there be any DLC?

It's currently too early to know if there will be any DLC. However, it is interesting to note that Aonuma has stated that this sequel's ideas initially started as DLC for Breath of the Wild.

When we released the DLC for Breath of the Wild, we realized this is a great way to add more elements to the same world. But when it comes down to technical things, DLC is pretty much data—you're adding data to a preexisting title. When we wanted to add bigger changes, DLC is not enough, and that's why we thought maybe a sequel would be a good fit.

Nintendo often releases DLC for its bigger games, so it's very likely that we'll see some for the Breath of the Wild sequel. After all, it's a win-win since it gives the Japanese gaming company more revenue while giving fans more to explore.

What about amiibo?

Nintendo released several Breath of the Wild amiibo for the original game and made other Zelda amiibo compatible with it. When scanned, these figures allow players to acquire special in-game items, fight alongside Wolf Link, or even get Epona, the horse from Ocarina of Time.

We currently don't know if the sequel will work with these figurines, but we can assume they will After all, we recently saw the amiibo for the four champions got reprints and a new Zelda & Loftwing amiibo released for Skyward Sword HD in 2021.

How much will it cost?

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Master Edition.

Most big Nintendo titles these days sell for $60, so that's what we expect for a standard copy of Breath of the Wild 2. However, given that the original also had a Special Edition for $100, Master Edition for $130, and Deluxe Collector's Edition for $140, we expect some special versions for the sequel as well. The pricing for each one will depend on what exactly comes with the game.

Can you play Breath of the Wild 2 on Nintendo Switch Lite?

We're guessing that the sequel will have sections where players can use motion controls to solve puzzles just like the original did. Most of these puzzles could also easily be solved by simply using the joysticks. So we're guessing the sequel will be the same way. But if not, Nintendo Switch Lite owners will want to invest in an external pair of Joy-Cons so they can get in on the action. We'll update you when we learn more.

Is Nintendo releasing a special Breath of the Wild 2 Switch console?

Nintendo hasn't revealed any plans to release a special Breath of the Wild 2 Switch console. However, considering how much attention Breath of the Wild has received and how highly anticipated the sequel is, it would be ridiculous for Nintendo not to cash in on the hype as they did with the Animal Crossing Switch or the recent Metroid Dread OLED option. One thing is for sure, if Nintendo does create a special Zelda-themed Switch to release with Breath of the Wild 2, we'll be some of the first in line making a purchase.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Anyone who can't wait for the sequel can get a bit of a Zelda fix with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. During the announcement E3 2019 trailer, Eiji Aonuma, the producer for The Legend of Zelda series, stated the following:

"We mentioned in the June 2019 Nintendo Direct presentation that we had started development on the sequel to the Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. . . Regarding the sequel, the team is working hard on its development to make the vast world you enjoyed exploring in the original game even more impressive. So, you'll have to wait a bit longer before we can provide more updates."

Age of Calamity follows the events that took place 100 years before Breath of the Wild. You play as Link, Zelda, the four champions, and additional characters from Breath of the Wild as you struggle against Calamity Ganon.