Breath of the Wild 2 release date, news and trailers for the next Zelda game

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is undoubtedly one of the most highly-anticipated video games coming to Nintendo Switch, despite the fact that little or no is thought about it, together with its release date.

Since the game’s announcement throughout Nintendo’s E3 2019 presentation we have not heard a lot about it from Nintendo. That was greater than a yr in the past and with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic inflicting occasion cancellations and delays in the gaming business, it is turning into more and more onerous to guess when Nintendo may reveal extra about Breath of the Wild 2. Plus, the release of Breath of the Wild prequel Hyrule Warriors implies that Nintendo has a extra speedy Zelda journey to deal with in 2020. 

All issues thought of, it isn’t that shocking that Nintendo is protecting its playing cards near its chest—the unique Breath of the Wild remains to be hailed as one of the greatest Switch video games round and meaning expectations for Breath of the Wild 2 are very excessive. But the quantity of questions now we have is even greater. When will it release? What’s the full story? Will the rumored Nintendo Switch 2 play a component? 

Information on Breath of the Wild 2, then, remains to be fairly skinny on the floor. Fortunately there are a lot of clues to be present in its announcement trailer and the web isn’t brief of rumors to ruminate over. As such, we have gathered up every thing we all know and suspect to date about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 beneath for your perusal.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Breath of the Wild 2 is the upcoming sequel to 2017’s open-world Zelda game
• What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch
• When can I play it? TBA however it’s trying prefer it will not be till 2021 or later

Breath of the Wild 2 release date

Nintendo hasn’t shared a lot data on Breath of the Wild 2 apart from an announcement trailer and a number of sparse feedback—which we’ll run by way of beneath. One factor to carry on to is that the trailer closed off with a line stating the game is “in development”. That would not assure the game is coming anytime quickly however it is coming. 

Last yr, leaker Sabi (by way of wccftech) instructed that Breath of the Wild 2 is due for release in 2020, however warned that, “Zelda release dates are historically delayed, internally or publicly”.

And it appears they have been proper, as the leaker has since claimed that Breath of the Wild 2 has been delayed, seemingly into 2021. 

Botw2 taking longer than anticipated back during e3 2019, so it doesn’t seem to be this year’s holiday release, which adds more credence to the major title I was referencing on a tweet the other day. Neither are set in stone yet so take some salt. The more likely one has.. tiresJanuary 31, 2020

While it is all the time price taking rumors with a large pinch of salt, Sabi is a fairly dependable leaker. The Twitter person leaked most of the large bulletins from E3 2019 earlier than they occurred – reportedly even incomes a stop and desist order from Nintendo.

There have additionally been rumors that Nintendo is engaged on a Nintendo Switch Pro, a extra highly effective console than the unique Switch. It’s been instructed that Breath of the Wild 2 would make a super launch title for a brand new console and if rumors show to be true this might see Breath of the Wild 2 launched in late 2021 or early 2022. However, that is all very a lot hypothesis at this level given the existence of such a console hasn’t been confirmed or denied by Nintendo and no replace has been given on Breath of the Wild 2’s release date.

Breath of the Wild 2 trailers

We bought our first glimpse of BOTW 2 at E3 2019, with this spooky trailer that exhibits Zelda and Link exploring an underground chamber – with some mysterious runes, glowing arms, and a brand-new haircut that has set the web on hearth. Suffice it to say we’re excited.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 trailer is simply 82 seconds lengthy and there isn’t any dialogue by any means however there are some clues to be gathered from it.

It includes a torch-carrying Link and Zelda traversing a darkish dungeon beneath Hyrule (no large shock there). Spirit-like tendrils creep round the musty tomb they’re exploring, with the pair driving a big elephant-like beast. Something shocks the pair, and then we minimize to what seems to be the resurrection of some long-dead (and creepy trying) warrior. Could this be the return of Ganondorf?

The video then cuts to an extended shot of Hyrule Field, with Hyrule Castle in the distance. There’s a tremor, the fortress is smothered with mud… and that is the finish.

The clip finishes with a message that reads: “The sequel to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is in development.”

We would not often anticipate a lot animation to be executed so early in growth, however it in all probability helps that Nintendo already has the in-game engine from Breath of the Wild.

Breath of the Wild 2 news and rumors

Hyrule Warriors and an extended wait for news

Nintendo and Koei Tecmo Games are releasing a prequel to the unique Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild titled Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity in November 2020. Set 100 years earlier than the unique game, it’ll have Link, Zelda and mates (together with the 4 Champions, who can be playable for the the first time) battle hordes of enemies in Hyrule earlier than it was destroyed in the Great Calamity.

While it’s thrilling to have the probability to return to Hyrule in 2020, the release of this prequel does counsel it may very well be one other whereas earlier than we hear something extra a few sequel.

In revealing Age of Calamity, sequence producer Eiji Aonuma acknowledged the relative lack of news for Breath of the Wild 2 and stated:

“In order to make the vast world you enjoyed exploring in the original game even more impressive, the team is working hard on its development, so you’ll have to wait a bit longer before we can provide more updates.”

Could Switch Pro rumors provide Breath of the Wild 2 hints?

There have been quite a few reviews that there is a Nintendo Switch Pro in the works for a 2021 release date. Reports of the new console come from the Economic Daily News and Bloomberg each of which suggests a extra highly effective Nintendo Switch console with upgraded interactivity and improved show high quality may very well be coming next yr. Along with these {hardware} upgrades, Bloomberg additionally means that Nintendo has a bunch of new video games up its sleeve to launch alongside the console.

Given the unique Breath of the Wild launched with the unique Nintendo Switch again in 2017, launching Breath of the Wild 2 alongside a extra superior iteration of the console can be some good symmetry. A 2021 release date for Breath of the Wild 2 would not appear utterly ridiculous both given it has been in growth for a while.

That stated, all of that is mere conjecture till Nintendo confirms the existence of a Nintendo Switch Pro or provides us an replace on the progress of Breath of the Wild 2. 

WT&T itemizing

In August 2020, French retailer WT&T listed a collector’s version of Breath of the Wild 2 for €82.85 (about $100) together with a release date of December 31, 2020. An inventory for the normal model of the game was additionally proven, which priced the game at €69.99. The itemizing has since been pulled. 

Although a vacation release for one of Nintendo’s greatest video games would make so much of sense and WT&T beforehand leaked the existence of The Witcher 3 on Switch properly earlier than it was formally introduced, it appears extra seemingly that this date was merely a placeholder.

Skyward Sword and 35-year anniversary

In August 2020, an Amazon itemizing went dwell for a Skyward Sword port on Nintendo Switch. While it is now been pulled from the website, a port of the Wii title would make so much of sense forward of the BOTW 2 release, given the hints about villain Demis (the large dangerous in Skyward Sword) in the upcoming sequel.

With the Zelda franchise’s 35-year anniversary coming in 2021, it is a good time for each a Skyward Sword port and a Breath of the Wild 2 game, and we anticipate we might get the former a number of months forward of the latter, not less than partially to remind followers of the characters in the former game.

Voice appearing misunderstanding

In an indication of simply how a lot followers are trying for news on Breath of the Wild 2, a current interview with the voice actors behind the Spanish dubs of Zelda and Revali in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Spanish podcast A Coffee with Nintendo was seized upon and brought on some controversy (by way of IGN). 

In the interview it appeared to be instructed that the voice actors had completed their work on the sequel, main followers to assume that the game could be additional alongside in its growth than initially thought. However, this proved to be incorrect. It was later clarified that the voice actors have been joking and that context was misplaced resulting from translation points. In truth, it isn’t even confirmed that they are engaged on the sequel. So we’re left with no additional clues as to progress on Breath of the Wild 2. 

E3 uncertainty and a Mario-dominated 2020

With E3 2020 formally cancelled (bodily and digitally) it is at the moment unclear what Nintendo is planning on doing on the subject of its conventional June Direct through which it lays out its plans for the latter half of the yr and past. 

Uncertainty has been elevated by a report from GamesBeat (corroborated by VGC) suggesting that the ongoing pandemic and swap to a work-from-home mannequin has brought on problems for Nintendo, which can must push its Direct from June to the finish of the summer time. 

Though Nintendo has not commented on this current report, following the cancellation of E3 Nintendo stated it can “continue to be flexible and redirect our efforts to other ways of keeping our fans up to date about our activities and products” but no specifics have been confirmed. 

Though it was by no means certain that there would be any kind of Breath of the Wild 2 news during Nintendo’s E3 Direct, fans were no doubt hoping for at least an indication of how the game is progressing given June will mark a full year since the game’s announcement with little news in between. 

Interestingly, a further recent report from Eurogamer and Video Games Chronicle has said that for the rest of 2020, the Nintendo Switch’s first-party lineup is going to be very Mario-heavy in celebration of the franchise’s 35th anniversary. 

Though this report hasn’t been confirmed by Nintendo, if it’s true then 2020 being heavily dominated by Mario doesn’t bode well for any kind of Breath of the Wild 2 release. 

It’s worth pointing out, though, that February 2021 is The Legend of Zelda’s 35th anniversary so if Nintendo does go big for Mario there’s a precedent for it doing the same for Zelda next year in some form or another. It would certainly be the perfect year to focus on Breath of the Wild 2. Of course, this is just conjecture and we won’t know anything for sure until Nintendo makes some official announcements about the game. 

Rumors spreading

It’s been a long time since anything solid on Breath of the Wild 2 has been announced and, as ever, in the absence of solid news rumors tend to creep in. 

The latest rumor has come from Tyler McVicker. Known primarily for his YouTube channel dedicated to Valve rumors, McVicker has recently announced he’s setting up a Nintendo news channel and on a recent stream (around the 11 minute mark) teased some unconfirmed information (via NintendoLife) on the Zelda sequel. 

According to McVicker, Breath of the Wild 2 will take players back to the same Hyrule layout but introduce new things like “miasma”-like corruption and dungeons to add depth and detail to the map, taking inspiration from Red Dead Redemption 2 and another unnamed game. 

Anything said about Breath of the Wild 2 that hasn’t come from Nintendo itself should naturally be taken with a huge pinch of salt.

A 2020 release date? It may be delayed
Last year, leaker Sabi (via wccftech) suggested that Breath of the Wild 2 is due for release in 2020, but warned that, “Zelda release dates are historically delayed, internally or publicly”.

And it seems they were right, as the leaker has since claimed that Breath of the Wild 2 has been delayed, likely into 2021.

Botw2 taking longer than anticipated back during e3 2019, so it doesn’t seem to be this year’s holiday release, which adds more credence to the major title I was referencing on a tweet the other day. Neither are set in stone yet so take some salt. The more likely one has.. tiresJanuary 31, 2020

Monolith recruitment
The development of Breath of the Wild 2 is rolling along and updates are very thin on the ground at the moment. But according to a report by Video Games Chronicle, the game’s co-developer Monolith Soft is looking to expand its team with adverts for a character modeler, concept art designer, map modeler and scenario planner for a new Zelda game. 

Hiring extra hands for the development of such a highly-anticipated game can’t be a bad thing and suggests that the teams are working hard on getting the game ready for whatever the as-yet-unrevealed release date is. 

Behind the scenes
Nintendo is attempting to entice developers on its careers site with images that show how the development team put together the E3 trailer for Breath of the Wild 2. The images don’t give much away but it’s interesting to look at for fans invested in the development process. 

We haven’t seen much from the game since this trailer but some are hoping that we’ll get an update sometime soon.

More hiring calls
There hasn’t been much information around Breath of the Wild 2 since it was confirmed so naturally fans have been clamoring for a hint of where the game might be in its development. 

One hint comes from a Nintendo Japan tweet regarding some job listings for a “scenario planner” and a “level designer” for the game. The indisputable fact that such core roles are nonetheless being stuffed means that the game remains to be in the pretty early levels of growth and isn’t more likely to be a 2020 release. We can’t know for sure, of course, till Nintendo confirms an actual release date however we’re inclined to say later slightly than sooner. 

[プロジェクト採用]「『ゼルダの伝説 ブレス オブ ザ ワイルド』続編のシナリオプランナー（京都勤務）」の募集要項を掲載しました。「レベルデザイナー」も引き続き募集中です。https://t.co/ngNp4ySehx pic.twitter.com/aC8kqpe47zOctober 9, 2019

All the DLC that never was
In an interview with Kotaku, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma said there were originally plans for more DLC content for BOTW, after The Champion’s Ballad and Master Trials add-ons that came in 2017.

“Initially we have been pondering of simply DLC concepts,” says Anouma. “But then we had so much of concepts and we stated, ‘This is just too many concepts, let’s simply make one new game and begin from scratch.'”

A darker turn for the series
All we really know at this point is how little we know. But boy are there rumors. The unexpected trailer has already sparked a huge amount of speculation, hopes and hot takes on what the next mainline Zelda title might include.

We’ve heard from Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma that the game is going to have a darker tone than Breath of the Wild, and will even be “slightly bit darker” than Majora’s Mask (via IGN).

The trailer certainly supports this, with what looks like Ganondorf’s corpse being resurrected by a disembodied hand, and seemingly imagery from 2006’s Twilight Princess, which saw Hyrule turned into a bleak shadow realm – largely in response to the far cheerier and cartoonish The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

The Twilight realm
The glowing blue hand in the trailer is the biggest clue that we’ll be seeing more of the Twili – shadow people descended from Hylians who tried to take the power of the Triforce for themselves. The hand is wrapped in twisting shapes reminiscent of Twilight architecture, while the swirling magic could remind some of the portals that let Twili invade Hyrule in the 2006 game.

We know that BOTW’s dev team originally toyed with the idea of an alien invasion, and seeing shadow creatures teleport out of the sky could well have been what they have planned this time around.

A clue in the audio
Showing just how far some Zelda fans will go, reddit user u/ReroFunk (via Inverse)  pieced together a pretty convincing theory regarding Twilight Princess villain Zant, a Twili who served Ganondorf in the game. If you listen to the trailer’s audio in reverse, there are certain notes that seem to echo the music played during your final encounter with Zant – who, while defeated, is adamant he’ll return through the power of his “god”.

u/ReroFunk also suggests we could see the demon king Demise return for the next Zelda game. Demise was the final boss in Skyward Sword, and revealed to be the original form of Ganondorf. The below still from the Zelda trailer also looks a lot like Demise when you think about it.

Lots of dungeons (and an prolonged map)
Rumors about the Breath of the Wild sequel counsel that we may very well be in for a deal with in the kind of a brand new map that is not like something we have seen from Zelda earlier than. What’s extra, a pair of new job listings counsel that Nintendo is trying for folks to work on designing some dungeons and hidden bosses for the game – to date, so thrilling.

Zelda’s flip in the highlight?
One of the favourite fan theories doing the rounds regards the Hyrule princess herself. She’s proven in the trailer with a sensible brief haircut, and is wearing a way fairly just like Link’s personal adventurer’s gear – main some to assume she could also be a playable character.

Zelda’s devs have appeared fairly dismissive of the concept of a feminine Link in the previous – sadly – however we might on this game see sections taking part in as Zelda, or not less than together with her taking part in a extra lively position in the story.