Nintendo fans rejoiced when the company finally broke its long silence and came out with a Nintendo Direct earlier this year. It was a pretty successful Direct at that, delighting fans with new titles likeSplatoon 3and returns to old spinoff series likeMario Golf: Super Rush.However, what fans were really waiting for was news on how the company planned on celebratingThe Legend of Zelda’s 35th anniversary. 2021 is expected to be a huge year for the franchise, and to many fans, it’s obvious how Nintendo should celebrate. Hopes are high that Nintendo will finally address and possibly even releaseThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.
Nintendo hasn’t done a sequel to aZeldagame in a little while, butBreath of the Wildwas such an overwhelming success that there’s no surprise fans are hyped for it. Although Nintendo hasn’t had anything new to say, it did address the game in the Direct briefly, making fans hopeful that it’ll be out in 2021. However, it might turn out to be way more successful in 2022. It’s sure to be a huge hit whenever it releases, butZelda: Breath of the Wild 2has a very exciting long-term lifespan ahead of it, and might shine the brightest after the 35th anniversary ofZeldais over.
RELATED:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 - The Case for Ganon’s Return
The Star of the Show
Because 2021 is the whole franchise’s anniversary,Breath of the Wild 2certainly won’t be Nintendo’s only way of celebrating. Fans already know thatThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordis coming to the Switch with an HD remaster. It’s highly appropriate that the game released for the 25th anniversary is making a comeback. However, the drawback of such an importantZeldatitle coming back is that it’ll make some fans choose between playing throughSkyward Swordagain over waiting forBreath of the Wild 2.SinceSkyward Swordis a familiar title, though, it likely won’t hold fan attention for as long asBreath of the Wild 2will.Skyward Swordwill be a fun piece of nostalgia, butBotW 2is something fans are desperate for, so they’ll be talking about it well into 2022.
It won’t just be fans whose attention will be captured byBreath of the Wildwell beyond 2021. Odds are that Nintendo has a lot more planned for the game in 2022, assuming the game manages a 2021 release. The firstBreath of the Wildwas supported by DLCs,a break fromZelda’s norm, but a welcome one. Since the DLCs for the first game did so well, it’s likely that Nintendo will decide to come up with some expansions for the sequel too. That means 2022 will be filled with more quests to fascinate and entertainZeldafans throughBreath of the Wild 2.The game will have continued playing value well outside 2021 if Nintendo returns to DLCs.
RELATED:Nintendo Switch Pro Rumors Are Super Good for Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
Hope for the Super Switch
There’s one more important thing about Nintendo’s 2022 that could have something to do withBreath of the Wild 2.Rumors abouta Super Switch or Switch Procontinue to float around. If these rumors are true, then Nintendo will surely be stocking the Switch Pro with some really attractive games, and one of them would surely beBreath of the Wild 2.Exploring Hyrule in 4K is something that fans have only dreamt of until now. Supposing the Switch Pro releases in late 2021 or early 2022, odds are thatBreath of the Wild 2will get a big boost from being on this new console. Fans would be more than happy to pick up a next-gen copy of the game.
Breath of the Wild 2can’t be delayed forever. While it makes sense that Nintendo, like so much of the game industry, has had to take its time developing the game recently, it’s got to be getting to a presentable state by now. After all, it was announced nearly two years ago, and somehow Nintendo has managed to remain completely silent. It seems exceedingly likely thatBreath of the Wild 2is meant to releasein 2021. It would certainly be a good capstone for the franchise’s anniversary. However, what fans should really be excited for is how the game could continue to grow into 2022. Nintendo knows it has something really impactful on its hands, and it’s sure to capitalize on the game to the benefit of its fans.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2is in development for Nintendo Switch.
