The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 release date has finally been revealed, alongside a brand new title. Setting itself apart from the previous game, it is now called The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
You will need to wait longer for even more gameplay but, now that we know the official release date, the rest will come some. We've had Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity expand on the story in the meantime, working as a prequel. For now though, here's everything we know about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.
- Read More: When Is The Next Nintendo Direct?
Latest News
13 September 2022
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will finally launch on May 12, 2023.
Though we still have a decent wait, at least we know it is on the way.
29 March 2022
Breath of the Wild 2 has been delayed into Spring 2023. Releasing a new video from series producer Eiji Aonuma, you can find that below:
8 February, 2022
Nintendo has confirmed a new Direct presentation airs tomorrow on February 9. Scheduled to kick-off at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 10PM GMT / 11pm CET, that's expected to last for "roughly 40 minutes," focus on Switch games launching "in the first half of 2022."
3 February, 2022 -
Nintendo has reaffirmed that the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is still slated for release in 2022 during the company's latest financial report. No other information has been given.
16 June, 2021 -
What is The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2's Real Name? Nintendo has confirmed why they've not revealed it during an IGN interview, and Bill Trinen gave us further insights about the game.
15 June, 2021 -
Nintendo has confirmed that The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 will Launch in 2022. This was revealed during Nintendo's E3 2021 press conference, where they also gave fans a new look at the game with a lengthy new trailer.
10 June, 2021 -
GameStop may have been clued in early on plans for Nintendo's Legend of Zelda 35th anniversary plans, having allegedly been given a first look at the planned anniversary posters. Read more here.
9 June, 2021 -
Video game peripherals & accessories company Hori have raised fan speculation over the next BOTW game following the reveal of a new accessory. Hori recently announced a new Zelda-themed Joy-Con charging stand. Despite launching inline with Skyward Sword HD, they've opened up the debate over a potential reveal or launch due to the use of a Breath of the Wild background image. Read more here.
28 May, 2021 -
Industry insider Jeff Grubb has claimed that he's "51% sure" that Breath of the Wild 2 will be at Nintendo's E3 2021 Direct. You can read more here.
5 May, 2021 -
New documents from the Epic v. Apple trial showed that Microsoft believed Breath of the Wild 2's release date would be holiday 2020, alongside Bayonetta 3, Shin Megami Tensei V, and Metroid Prime 4. Find out more here.
28 April, 2021 -
Monolith Soft has offered support for big Nintendo games over the years, while primarily working as lead developer on Xenoblade. As part of a wider recruitment effort, Monolith Soft has uploaded 40 new job listings in Tokyo, with several relating to Legend of Zelda.
Release Date
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will release on May 12, 2023
2021 Trailer
2019 Trailer
What Do We Know About Breath Of The Wild 2?
According to Eiji Aonuma, there were plans for more DLC in Breath of the Wild. "Initially we were thinking of just DLC ideas," says Aonuma. "But then we had a lot of ideas and we said, 'This is too many ideas, let’s just make one new game and start from scratch.'"
Breath of the Wild 2 will be "darker" and likely features the main antagonist, Ganondorf, being resurrected. Rumours have also circulated about the return of the Twili and the Twilight realm, who first appeared in Twilight Princess. These shadow people descended from Hylians who tried to take the Triforce's power for themselves.
If true, that could lead to the return of Zant, a Twilight Princess antagonist who served under Ganondorf. Demise, the demon king - Skyward Sword's final boss and Ganondorf's original form - may also return, with some trailer speculation suggesting Demise is at least depicted.
There's also a popular theory that Zelda will be a playable character. This incarnation of Zelda wants to involve herself in the action alongside Link, like we saw in Age of Calamity, meaning she'll likely become an interesting ally in the story.
Pre-Order And Pricing
Most outlets have put the game up for £49.99. There's a few pre-order opportunities but understandably, no-one's offering any bonuses at this time.
You can sign up for the latest info on the Nintendo website.
Features And Changes
This remains speculative but given its status as a direct sequel, Breath of the Wild 2 will likely be very similar to its original. We know that within this new adventure, we'll be taking to the skies once more, travelling around the airborne Hyrule Castle. What we have also seen is new versions of the Sheikah Runes, this time controlled by Link and not the Sheikah Slate.
Breath of the Wild 2 Name
Some theories suggest BotW 2 will keep the "wild" part of its name and be called "The Legend of Zelda: Hope of the Wild." Others suggest it'll be Shadows Of The Lost.
Nintendo doesn't commonly recycle names too often, but they do toy with them sometimes to keep close associations in mind, like with Link Between Worlds.
In the meantime, Bill Trinen confirmed we've not been told the name yet because "they start to give little bits of hints about maybe what’s going to happen"
Breath of the Wild 2 World Beneath
It's evident from the teaser trailer that something is happening underground. It's where Link and Zelda find Ganondorf, there's (apparently) something Sheikah related down there, and Hyrule Castle gets separated from the surface. This theory suggests going underground will be BotW 2's main focus, or at least a significant part of it, much like the Dark World in Link to the Past.
Breath of the Wild 2 Time Travel
Zelda's timeline is confusing enough, but Age of Calamity completely shattered how we viewed BOTW's specific timeline. Considering the prequel featured time travel elements, several rumours suggest this will happen again in BOTW 2.
Considering Ocarina of Time used this as a central element, it wouldn't be that surprising, but that's not all. Some rumours suggest we'll be playing through Link's memories this time, possibly meeting past versions of the Hylian hero.