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Breath of the Wild 2 is happening, and while it might still be some time before we cans step into its world, the sense of anticipation surely won’t be dying down any time soon. Originally set to arrive sometime later this year, Nintendo announced in a video with Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma that the launch window has been pushed to 2023. Since it was first revealed back in 2019, we’ve steadily learned more about the sequel in trailers since then – with a Breath of the Wild sequel gameplay breakdown giving us a look at some of the new features. But there’s still some mystery surrounding Link’s return.
Below, we’ve gathered together everything we know so far about Breath of the Wild 2 in one place, from the currented expected launch window to features and theories about its story.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 release date
The Breath of the Wild 2 launch window was originally slated for some time in 2022, but it has since been delayed to Spring 2023. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma announced in a video presentation from Nintendo that the team was taking more development time to work on the highly anticipated Legend of the Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 name and story
The Breath of the Wild sequel has a name; we just don’t know it yet. Nintendo Treehouse’s Bill Trinen explained in an interview with IGN that the second part of the upcoming Legend of Zelda title is kept secret because it contains clues about the story. Could it be ‘The Legend of Zelda: Messing With the Timeline Again’? We’ll just have to be patient and keep referring to ‘Breath of the Wild 2’ in the meantime.
Breath of the Wild 2 could feature a new master sword
During the announcement about the delay to Spring 2023, a glimpse of a very different-looking master sword popped up. We still don’t know all that much about, with this being the first snippet we’ve seen featuring the weapon, but the design is certainly very striking. Could this mean the sword will have a new power? It’ll be interesting to see how it shapes up.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 first trailer
Although the very first Breath of the Wild 2 trailer from 2019 is short, it provides us with plenty of small clues. We first notice some of Ganondorf’s dark-reddish goo called Malice, and then we see Link and Zelda approaching a dead body held down with a glowing arm. Ganondorf’s body, perhaps?
In the few split-seconds after that, Link seems to attach the glowing magical arm to himself. As the ground starts shaking, it looks like the magical arm is grabbing Link’s arm, either saving or kidnapping him. It may be a sign that Zelda will become a playable character in BotW 2. This 2019 trailer also shows Zelda with short hair, which makes her look more like Link.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 second trailer
Based on the Breath of the Wild 2 trailer shown at E3 2021, it’s clear that BotW 2 will feature lots of new islands floating above the world of Hyrule as we know it from the first Breath of the Wild. Just like the first BotW 2 trailer, it looks like we’ll have to deal with a lot of Malice again.
It’s safe to assume that Link (and/or Zelda) will get some awesome new powers. In the trailer, we see him use his Stasis power with his right arm (no more Sheikah Slate?), attack with a flamethrower (left arm, looks like a weapon), and float upwards while passing through some stones. This teleport power has a green glow similar to that of the magical green arm, so it may be a result of the arm attaching itself to Link.
But perhaps the most interesting thing about this BotW 2 trailer is something we don’t get to see: Link’s face. Yes, we get a glimpse of Link’s face while the Malice is grabbing him, but that’s the only time. As suggested before, it’s possible that we’re actually watching Zelda instead of Link.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 theories
Unsurprisingly, the internet is already swarming with fan theories based on the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 E3 trailers. We mentioned some of the possibilities already, but we’ll sum up the most popular ones:
- Going back in time. The music at the start of the 2019 BotW 2 trailer sounds reversed, which led some to believe that this is a clue; perhaps the BotW 2 story starts by going back in time.
- The two Links. This theory is strengthened by the 2021 BotW 2 trailer, as we see Link in the ‘normal’ Hyrule wearing his traditional clothing and hairstyle, while Link in the floating island realm is wearing a new set of clothes and loose hair. Did he just change his look, or is floating island Link actually Link from the past?
- Secret Zelda. Again, floating island Link could not be Link at all. The loose hair is not too long, and we already saw Zelda with shorter loose hair in the 2019 trailer. It’s not unlikely that BotW 2 will feature both Link and Zelda as playable characters.
Keep up to date with the latest upcoming releases with our roundup of new games of 2022.
