Nintendo appears to have a strong collection of titles prepared for the rest of this year. TheFebruary 2022 Nintendo Direct revealed a number of gamesincludingFire Emblem Warriors: Three HopesandMario Strikers: Battle League, while also providing updates on known projects includingSplatoon 3andKirby and the Forgotten Land. However, one major game left out of the festivities wasThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.
There was reason to suspectBreath of the Wild 2would not appear in the first Nintendo Direct of 2022. The 40-minute event was advertised as a showcase “mostly” focusing on games for the early half of the year, and this held true - with the notable exception of September 2022’sXenoblade Chronicles 3being revealed. With the first half of the year largely laid out for Switch owners, Nintendo can begin to focus future events on the tail end of 2022, with the nextZeldagame a seemingly perfect candidate for the holiday season. If so, Nintendo will likely continue its pattern of makingBreath of the Wild 2a draw at its E3 presentations.
RELATED:Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Should Inspire new Armor Sets in Breath of the Wild 2
Breath of the Wild 2’s History With E3
The originalBreath of the Wildhad a history in the spotlight well before it became the blockbuster Switch launch title in March 2017. It was discussed openly by producer Eiji Aonuma as early as January 2013, promising the first original HDZeldagame on Wii U that would reimagine its series' conventions and return to the exploratory roots ofThe Legend of Zeldaon NES. Over the following years it would be sparingly highlighted at various events, and it seems the decision to go from Wii U exclusive to a title also releasing on the then-codenamed NX influencedBreath of the Wild’s lengthy development.
Breath of the Wildreleased to critical and fan acclaim, helping define what it meant to be a modern open-world game and leading to a number of releases which drew clear inspiration; from miHoYo’sGenshin Impactto Ubisoft’sImmortals Fenyx Rising. Asequel using this same base akin toOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Maskfelt like a shoo-in for Nintendo, but it wasn’t until E3 2019 that the studio confirmed a follow-up was in development. Even then it was a brief teaser with flashes of evocative scenes that kept fans speculating.
Further details were kept under wraps for some time.Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a spin-off game that was advertised as a prequel toBreath of the Wild, released in late 2020. However,Aonuma told fansBreath of the Wild 2news would have to waitduring the September 2020 Direct a few weeks afterAge of Calamitywas announced.
That promised update came via a trailer that debuted at E3 2021, adding to a stacked presentation alongside the reveal ofMetroid Dread. The E3 2021 trailer gave fans a look a new monsters and landmarks around Hyrule as chunks of earth were lifted into the sky, as well as abilities Link will have access to. Yet it was still vague about details like a release date and official title. Nintendo’s third-quarter investor presentation on February 3 confirmsBreath of the Wild 2is still aiming for a 2022 release, but if so the lack of a presence during its recent Direct is telling.
RELATED:Breath of the Wild 2 Should Look at The Witcher 3 to Expand Crafting
Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild 2 Pattern Should Hold True
Nintendo took a break from major Directs in 2020, in-part thanks to the impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic, leaving random Twitter reveals and Direct Mini: Partner Showcases to pick up the slack. It returned to the format in 2021 and set a pattern that 2022 appears to be following, with their first big Directs each taking place in February. With that in mind, it’s likely Nintendo won’t have any big Directs until E3 2022, as in 2021.
The company’s Twitter drops have included titles likePaper Mario: The Origami KingandPikmin 3 Deluxe, but it no doubt prefers to keep tentpole projects likeBreath of the Wild 2reserved for big events. Considering the first two trailers for this sequel dropped during E3 2019 and 2021, E3 2022 is probably the place to watch for its next appearance. Thedigital-only E3 formatadopted over the last few years may not be as enticing for many industry followers, but it’s still one of the most high-profile venues to discuss a game and garner publicity.
IfBreath of the Wild 2is a main attraction for Nintendo’s E3 offerings again, it has a lot of heavy lifting to do this year. Aforementioned details like the game’s title and release date will need to be revealed, and in this case should set the game up to be a system seller for the holiday season. It’s unclear whetherPokemonwill make another appearance this November or December afterLegends: Arceuslaunched in January, and lettingZeldasoak up the attention would be to Nintendo’s benefit.
Hopefully an E3 2021 trailer also teases more content that will entice fans without giving away the entire game. Link’s new arsenal of abilities and enemies after the defeat of Calamity Ganon should be a priority, as no matter what is revealed it may pale in comparison to the depth of this sequel ifcontinual discoveries inBreath of the Wildare any indication. An exciting year for Nintendo fans would be capped off perfectly with a strongLegend of Zeldarelease.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2releases in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Breath of the Wild 2 Should Reintroduce Music Mechanics to the Series
