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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel delayed to Spring 2023

Nintendo has announced that the sequel to Breath of the Wild has been delayed to 2023.

Donovan Erskine

March 29, 2022 7:09 AM

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most celebrated games of the last decade, and its sequel has been one of the most highly-anticipated upcoming releases since its announcement back in 2019. Originally scheduled to arrive sometime this year, Nintendo has delayed the Breath of the Wild sequel to Spring 2023.

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

Nintendo announced the delay of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel in a video shared to social media. The game will now launch in the Spring 2023 window.  “We previously announced that we were aiming for a 2022 release for this game. However, we have decided to extend our development time a bit,” said producer Eiji Aonuma, per the video’s English translation.

Following the announcement, Aonuma reiterates how Nintendo is looking to go bigger and better with the sequel to Breath of the Wild. “The adventure in this sequel will take place not just on the ground as in the previous game, but also in the skies above.” He also teases new features and gameplay elements.

While the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is no longer a part of Nintendo’s 2022 release line-up, fans of the publisher can still expect major franchise releases such as Splatoon 3 as well as Pokemon Scarlet and Violet by the end of the calendar year.

Nintendo has never been one to shy away from delaying its most anticipated games, and this is just the latest example of that. There had been growing suspicion that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 - as we’re tentatively calling it - would not make a 2022 release, due to its absence at recent Nintendo Directs. It’s now official, and the wait for the Breath of the Wild sequel will now last until Spring 2023.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_