Nintendo hasn’t given the widely anticipated sequel to BOTW an official title yet, presumably owing to potential spoilers, but the company has revealed the game would be released in 2022, with an exact month and date yet to be determined.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most popular games on the Nintendo Switch and one of the most well-known Zelda titles. The game introduces a new level of freedom to the gameplay, which is likely to be carried over into the sequel. Little is known about the unannounced sequel, while previews have revealed that the style will be similar to BOTW, with a darker narrative tone. Nintendo has remained rather quiet about the game’s progress, though recently leaked patents have revealed details about the game’s unique combat and features.
Peer Schneider, one of the IGN founders, revealed on the IGN Games podcast (via ComicBook) that he’d recently been privy to some meetings with Nintendo personnel in which Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 was addressed. Schneider claims that the absence of BOTW 2 at The Game Awards 2021 isn’t indicative of any developmental issues at Nintendo and that fans will have the game in their hands by November 2022. The remark, which appears to have been spoken on the spur of the moment, maybe seen at the 33:48 mark in the video below. Schneider mentions that there aren’t many major open-world games on Switch this year, but that will “probably change next November when we play Breath of the Wild 2.”
While Schneider did not explicitly indicate that the game will be released in November, the comment implies that this is the earliest that players will be able to play it. A November release date for Breath of the Wild 2 isn’t out of the question, as Nintendo is notorious for releasing a blockbuster game around the holiday season every year to boost interest and sales in both the game and the Nintendo Switch device. Nintendo released the famous Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl in November, giving nostalgic remakes of one of the company’s most successful brands just in time for the holidays.
It’s unclear whether The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will be released in November, but with 2021 approaching a close, the official release date is getting closer. While it missed out on winning the Most Anticipated Game title at TGA 2021, with Elden Ring winning for the second year in a row, anticipation for Link and Zelda’s next journey has likely never been higher.
