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It’s been two years now since Nintendo announced it was developing a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and there’s still very little we know about the game. Outside of a single cryptic trailer, Nintendo has only shared occasional tidbits about the title, leaving us to wonder when it will launch and how will it continue the original Breath of the Wild’s story. With E3 2021 just around the corner, however, there’s a chance we may learn more about the highly anticipated game very soon, so here’s what we’re hoping to see during this year’s show. Be sure to also check out our roundup of everything we know about Breath of the Wild 2 ahead of E3.
What We Know So Far
True to form, Nintendo has been characteristically secretive about the Breath of the Wild sequel since it officially announced the game during E3 2019. The sole trailer thus far set a dark tone for the adventure but revealed very little in the way of solid story details, leaving us to infer and speculate about what its cryptic imagery could mean.
However, we do know that the reason the sequel exists is because the Breath of the Wild team had too many ideas for DLC. As Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma told Kotaku back in 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.'”
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Additionally, we know that Breath of the Wild director Hidemaro Fujibayashi is reprising that role for this follow-up. Aonuma also said that many members of the team were playing Red Dead Redemption 2 when work started on the sequel, so they may have drawn some inspiration from Rockstar’s open-world Western. Beyond that, however, the last thing we heard from Aonuma is that development is “proceeding smoothly.”
What’s Confirmed For E3 2021
All Nintendo has confirmed so far is that it’s airing a 40-minute Nintendo Direct on June 15, which will focus “exclusively on Nintendo Switch software, mostly releasing in 2021.” The company hasn’t announced which titles will be making an appearance during the Direct, but it had previously said back in February that it plans to share more information on the Breath of the Wild sequel “later this year,” so there’s a chance we could see more of the game during this E3 presentation.
What We Hope To See At E3 2021
At this point, we’re just eager to see anything about the Breath of the Wild sequel. If nothing else, a new trailer would tide fans over and hopefully clear up many of the questions the initial teaser raised. One of the most widespread theories is that Zelda (who is sporting a new, shorter hairstyle than in the first game) may be playable this time around, either as a co-op partner or the main protagonist, and we’re hoping we’ll see some kind of confirmation during E3.
We also hope Nintendo will finally show off some gameplay. Even if the Breath of the Wild sequel is still a ways off from release, it would be great to get a closer look at the gameplay during Nintendo’s Treehouse Live stream. After all, Nintendo devoted its 2016 Treehouse streams to a deep dive of the original Breath of the Wild, offering an exciting look at the game ahead of its release, and we’re hoping the sequel will likewise receive an extended gameplay demo during this year’s E3.
Finally, we’re holding out hope that Nintendo will announce a release date for the Breath of the Wild sequel. Even if the company doesn’t pin down an exact date, a release window would put fans at ease. Since the game was still listed as TBA in Nintendo’s most recent financial earnings report, we have no idea at this point when it will launch, so a release window–however vague–would be greatly appreciated.
E3 2021 News & Announcements
Nintendo Switch OLED Announced, Coming October 8 E3 2021: Schedule, Participants, And What To Expect Xbox & Bethesda E3 Showcase Announcements: Starfield, Halo Infinite, Diablo 2 + Show More E3 2021 News & Announcements Links (4) Nintendo Direct E3 2021 Announcements: Breath Of The Wild 2, Metroid Dread, Advance Wars E3 2021 Games Confirmed So Far Ubisoft Forward E3 2021 Announcements: Far Cry 6, Mario + Rabbids 2, Avatar Square Enix E3 2021 Stream Announcements: Guardians Of The Galaxy, Final Fantasy Origin, Babylon's Fall
