Nintendo is moving ahead with Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 on Switch, but the latest news suggests that the company might not be in the hurry we first thought.
A lot of gamers want to see a BOTW sequel to arrive sooner rather than later, having had to endure such a long wait with the original.
Nintendo announcing a 2020 release date for the next Legend of Zelda game would put a lot of smiles on fan faces.
And there’s plenty of reasons why Nintendo would be in a hurry to launch a new Zelda Breath of the Wild game.
The first sold millions and Link’s Awakening has proven to be another success for the console.
But while Nintendo is open to releasing more Zelda games, that doesn’t mean the new Breath of the Wild game will be ready next year.
Nintendo will be eager to maintain the current Switch sales numbers, which surpassed 41 million sold in September 2019.
“There are no changes to the original financial forecast for this period, which was published on April 25, 2019,” a message from Nintendo confirms.
“Nintendo Switch titles slated for release include Ring Fit Adventure (October), Luigi’s Mansion 3 (October), Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield (November), and Animal Crossing: New Horizons (March 2020).
“In addition, other software publishers likewise plan to release a wide variety of compelling titles. We aim to further invigorate the platform through the continuous release of new titles combined with efforts to strengthen sales of popular existing titles.”
But to do this, more top games need to be released to propel sales forward into 2020. The good news for Nintendo is that Pokemon Sun and Moon look set to fill this role for early next year.
But what could be the big title in holiday 2020?
While Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 probably won’t be ready by late next year, perhaps Nintendo has other Link adventures in mind?
As confirmed in the new financial report, Link’s Awakening has sold over three million units up to September and will make for compelling reading.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa referenced, via Siliconera the success of this title and how the company will gauge future projects like it.
“Regarding the future, there is no clear directive to release remade titles,” Furukawa-san said.
“On one hand, in our 30 years of game console business we have made many past games that have been played by many people, which have left strong impressions on them, and this is a very valuable asset to our company.
“Nostalgia is one great appeal, but even in remake titles, what’s more, important is to create new game experiences, fun, and more.
“More than anything, we believe that passion towards wanting to remake the game from the creator of the original game is very important.
“For a recent example, Link’s Awakening, which you previously mentioned, is a good example of a game that has been reviewed by customers as both ‘nostalgic’ and ‘new’.”
Find a Zelda Link’s Awakening Nintendo Switch review through the link.
We would bet that there are plenty of Zelda devs who would love to have a crack at bringing one of their previous projects to the Switch.
So it will be worth keeping an eye out for anyone nostalgia buzz heading into 2020.
The only downside to this would be the fact that Nintendo would be very unlikely to release two Zelda games next year.
So if we do get another remake, it will probably arrive before Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 hits shelves.