The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 – Everything We Know

It’s rare to see a Legend of Zelda game receive a direct sequel, but Nintendo is doing just that for Breath of the Wild. During E3 2019, the company announced it is developing a follow-up to the Switch launch game, and since then, the still-unnamed sequel has been one of the system’s most hotly anticipated releases.

Despite the anticipation surrounding it, there’s been very little in the way of concrete news about the Breath of the Wild sequel since it was first revealed, but that is likely to change very soon. Back in February, Nintendo said it planned to share more information about the game later this year–and with E3 2021 just around the corner now, there’s a good chance we may see more of the game this month.

While there are still many question marks around the Breath of the Wild sequel, here’s a roundup of everything we know about the anticipated follow-up so far.

Release Date

Nintendo has not announced a release date for its Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel. The game was still listed as TBA in the company’s most recent financial earnings report, so it’s unclear when we can expect it to launch.

Platform

While the first Breath of the Wild was released simultaneously on Switch and Wii U, the sequel is only coming to Switch.

What We Know And Expect At E3 2021

Nintendo has confirmed it is airing a new Nintendo Direct during E3 2021 on June 15. According to the company, the presentation will run for roughly 40 minutes and focus “exclusively on Nintendo Switch software, mostly releasing in 2021.” Although Nintendo didn’t specify what games will be showcased, there’s a good chance we may get another look at the Breath of the Wild sequel during the presentation. In its February Direct, Nintendo said development on the sequel was “proceeding smoothly,” and that it planned to share more information about the game “later this year.” This makes the E3 2021 Direct a likely venue, especially as this year marks the Zelda series’ 35th anniversary, but nothing has been confirmed at this point.

Trailer

Nintendo dropped the first–and, so far, only–trailer for the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel during its E3 2019 Direct presentation. The cryptic video follows Link and Zelda (who notably sports a new, shorter hairstyle) as they make their way through a mysterious underground cavern. As the pair explore, tendrils of darkness can be seen creeping through the cavern. Link and Zelda eventually come upon what appears to be the source of the darkness: a mummified male corpse dressed in Gerudo jewelry and attire, presumably Ganondorf.

Clutching the corpse’s chest is what appears to be a hand made of light. A series of rapid, out of order shots follow, showing Link removing the hand, the floor around Link and Zelda crumbling, the mysterious hand of light catching Zelda by the wrist as she’s falling, and the corpse seemingly returning to life. The trailer then ends with a clip of Hyrule castle beginning to rise into the air.

Why Is Nintendo Making A Sequel To Breath Of The Wild?

According to Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma, Nintendo is making a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild because it had “too many ideas” for DLC for the game. As Aonuma explained to Kotaku at E3 2019:

“When we released the DLC for Breath of the Wild, we realized that this is a great way to add more elements to the same world. But when it comes down to technical things, DLC is pretty much data–you’re adding data to a preexisting title. And so when we wanted to add bigger changes, DLC is not enough, and that’s why we thought maybe a sequel would be a good fit. Initially, we were thinking of just DLC ideas, 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.'”

Preorder Details

The Breath of the Wild sequel isn’t up for preorder yet, but we’ll have full details on where you can reserve the game and what (if any) bonuses are available once preorders open.