There are few things that Zelda fans want more than proper updates on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. For a long time, it looked uncertain when exactly Nintendo was going to talk about the Breath of the Wild sequel, going silent after announcing the game at E3 2019. Finally, the game looks like it's on the horizon. Nintendo addressed it at E3 2021 with a very exciting new trailer, giving a hint of what's to come. Fans now know that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will release in 2022. However, despite that major update, Nintendo hasn't returned to the game or kept it at the forefront of Nintendo news since E3.
Although that's surprising at a glance, there's some good reason for that. Nintendo also just released The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, a revival of a very important Zelda title. Odds are that Nintendo hasn't been focused on Breath of the Wild 2 because it wanted to give Skyward Sword its time in the sun. That would certainly be in line with tons of theories claiming that there are connections between Breath of the Wild 2 and Skyward Sword. Now that Skyward Sword HD has been released, Nintendo might finally start releasing sneak peeks at the newest Zelda game.
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At first, Zelda fans were surprised that Skyward Sword HD alone seemed to be Nintendo's only planned celebration of the Zelda franchise during its 35th anniversary. In a way, it seems appropriate since Skyward Sword celebrated the franchise's 25th anniversary, but some fans were hopeful that they'd get a larger collection of classic Zelda games on the Nintendo Switch. Even so, Skyward Sword turned out to be the perfect game to revisit. Nintendo contributed all kinds of changes and enhancements to the original game that fans are pleased with so far.
Skyward Sword is also thematically appropriate for fans to replay before they get their hands on Breath of the Wild 2. On top of mechanical innovations like crafting and the stamina wheel that it contributed to BotW, it marks the beginning of The Legend of Zelda's timeline. In contrast, BotW reunites the splintered Zelda timeline, marking its potential end. Considering the floating islands that appear in Breath of the Wild 2, alongside other unanswered questions,many Zelda fans believe that story threads invented in Skyward Sword will be at the heart of BotW2. If that's the case, it makes sense that Nintendo set aside July for Skyward Sword to get attention.
Frankly, there are also just practical reasons for Nintendo to focus on advertising Skyward Sword HD instead of mixing in Breath of the Wild 2 teasers in the wake of E3. Breath of the Wild 2 may not cannibalize sales from Skyward Sword since it's not releasing at the same time, but trying to push information about both games at the same time could result in Skyward Sword getting stifled. Although they're both good Zelda developments, the hype for Breath of the Wild 2 is hard to compare to interest in a remaster. Now that Skyward Sword HD is out and has had a few weeks to generate sales, Nintendo can start shifting its focus.
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One wonders how much Nintendo will say about Breath of the Wild 2 in the near future. On the one hand, it would stand to reason that Nintendo still keeps its cards pretty close to the chest for now. Although it made a big reveal with the E3 2021 trailer, it might only release tiny teasers about Breath of the Wild 2 over the course of August 2021 and the following months. Even so, the tiniest bits of information about the game would be coveted by Zelda fans. Theorycrafting about BotW2's plot would be stoked by any amount of screenshots or teaser trailers that Nintendo releases, so it might settle for small amounts of publicity that keep the conversation around BotW2 alive.
On the other hand, Nintendo might decide that it's finally time to blow up Breath of the Wild 2 and make it the biggest Nintendo selling point of the coming year. Since Breath of the Wild 2 is so far away, regular advertisements for it probably won't get in the way of Nintendo titles releasing at the end of 2021 and early 2022. The Zelda title might not release until halfway through 2022 for all fans know, so the Pokemon games that Nintendo is working on shouldn't be hampered by regular updates on Breath of the Wild 2's state of development. Generating publicity for it a year in advance of its release seems somewhat appropriate after Nintendo went two years without acknowledging Breath of the Wild 2. That's why August could be such a big month for the game. Nintendo no longer has Skyward Sword to worry about and has months ahead before worrying about a final advertising push for its other games, so it can offer extra BotW information.
Skyward Sword may be controversial for its motion controls and some other gameplay elements, but its importance to the Zelda franchise can't be denied. Skyward Sword HD serves as an important reminder for fans of how much the Zelda franchise has grown over the last ten years while offering Nintendo an opportunity to showcase its growth by updating Skyward Sword. Even if Breath of the Wild 2 doesn't tie into Skyward Sword's plot, the latter game is a good contrast to the upcoming game. Breath of the Wild 2 is an acclaimed Zelda title, but it stands on the shoulders of the games that came before it.
It's possible that Nintendo remains silent through August, and perhaps even through the rest of the year. However, fans should remain optimistic that that won't be the case. Nintendo has a great runway for Breath of the Wild 2 publicity ahead of it with Skyward Sword HD wrapped up, so it might as well jump on the opportunity. At the very least, the closer 2022 gets, the more likely it is that more Breath of the Wild 2 information comes forward. Eventually, Nintendo will have to give fans a better picture of the game's plot and release date. Hopefully, it does so much sooner than expected.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases for Nintendo Switch in 2022.
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