The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 delayed to 2023

The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been delayed. The game will now launch in spring 2023, though it still doesn’t have a firm release date. The highly-anticipated Zelda game was originally slated for a 2022 launch, though Nintendo had yet to share a specific timing window. That led fans to speculate that a delay could be incoming. Nintendo confirmed those worries with a short video updating the game’s release plans. In the video, producer Eiji Aonuma states the delay bluntly, though doesn’t give a reason for it. He notes that the team is working diligently on the sequel and apologizes for the delay, but that’s about all fans get from the 90-second clip. The video does contain a small tidbit of footage from the game, which includes some brand new footage. First, we see some clips from the E3 2021 trailer with Link teleporting to the sky. Then, we see a quick clip of Link approaching a pool of light and taking out what appears to be a destroyed or corrupted Master Sword. That few seconds of footage raises a whole slew of new questions, as Aunoma states that the game has “new gameplay elements” during the clip. While the lack of Zelda in 2022 is a blow to gamers, it shouldn’t make too much of a difference for Nintendo. The company is currently in the midst of a banner year having already released Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. With Nintendo Switch Sports, Splatoon 2, Bayonetta 3, and more coming, Switch owners will likely be busy until spring 2023. Revisiting old games from my youth isn’t so much about the games themselves, but how they can bring me back to such specific moments in my life. I never realized it at the time, but I was tying my experience with games with various times, events, and places in my memory. Like a familiar scent or long-forgotten picture, replaying a game has the ability to transport me back to memories I thought were lost, almost like a time machine. For me, the years I want to go back to most are encapsulated by the SNES through the PS2 generations. One of my greatest regrets is losing my entire SNES catalog and a good chunk of essential N64 cartridges, but I at least knew better than to part with my PS2 library. When access to classic games from these specific console generations opened up on PS5 and Switch 2, it felt like a dream come true. However, I still hung on to those original copies even years after I could easily emulate them. If I were a betting man, I would’ve put down everything I had on the Nintendo Switch 2 being a smash hit. It doesn’t take an industry analyst to make that call so I don’t give myself too much credit, but seeing it break all these early sales numbers has still been a bit of a shock. While I personally wish that Nintendo had done a bit more to make this console launch feel more special, it was clearly the safe move to make as direct an upgrade as possible over the wildly popular Switch to ride that wave. Last generation, third parties were far more hesitant to support the Switch right out of the gate. Nintendo was at its lowest point in history, coming off the debacle that was the Wii U, so it made sense to take a more wait-and-see approach to Nintendo’s next console. Once it became clear that this little hybrid system had struck gold, we started seeing all these “impossible” ports hitting the console to capitalize. We’re already seeing that the industry at large — with the notable exceptions of Xbox and PlayStation — doesn’t intend to make the same mistake twice. But that may have rippling consequences for everyone, not just Switch 2 players. With a few exceptions, every Legend of Zelda game features a new incarnation of Link to take up the mantle of hero and vanquish evil from the land. He’s always armed with a sword, shield, and a host of other items he collects from various dungeons and characters that he somehow manages to hold without even having pockets. These items are part of what makes each game unique since they provide a new utility for Link to use in combat, puzzle solving, or both. There are a few that have become almost as common as the Master Sword across the Zelda timeline, but others have only shown up once. Having played every mainline Zelda game, both 2D and 3D, I have experimented with every tool in Link’s arsenal and picked out the best of the best. These items are the most unique, useful, and all-around fun items across the entire franchise. Note: I am not including core weapons like Link’s sword and shield that are typically part of his default equipment. I’m also not including powers, like the ones in Tears of the Kingdom, even if they are technically coming from the Purah Pad.