The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma announced Tuesday that the upcoming sequel to Breath of the Wild has been delayed to the spring of 2023. Although the game never had a specific release date, the developers had previously announced a launch sometime in 2022.
“For those of you who had been looking forward to a release this year, we apologize,” Aounuma said in a video shared on Nintendo’s YouTube channel. “In order to make this game’s experience something special, the entire development team is continuing to work diligently on this game, so please wait a while longer.”
Nintendo initially announced the still untitled Legend of Zelda sequel through a teaser trailer during an E3 2019 digital presentation. Two years later, fans saw another gameplay trailer at E3 2021, which confirmed the intended 2022 release window. Now, the developers have delayed the release of the Breath of the Wild sequel for unspecified reasons.
The Legend of Zelda series producer, Eiji Aonuma, has an update to share about the launch timing of the sequel to The Legend of #Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Please take a look. pic.twitter.com/7OhayhiuM9
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 29, 2022
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel delayed
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched on the Nintendo Switch and Wii U in March of 2017. It allowed players to pilot the Hyrulian hero Link in an open-world adventure. This gameplay style diverged from the traditional Legend of Zelda formula. Breath of the Wild garnered widespread acclaim and foreran a spin-off — Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity — as well as the recently delayed sequel.
In the upcoming sequel, players will be able to explore the grounds of Hyrule, as in the previous game. Unlike the original, players will also have the opportunity to explore the skies above Hyrule in the sequel. Additionally, Aonuma hinted at other new gameplay mechanics during the recent announcement video.
“The expanded world goes beyond [the ground and the skies]” Aounuma said in the announcement video. “There will be an even wider variety of features you can enjoy, including new encounters and new gameplay elements.”
