Nintendo announced this week that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 has been delayed. The highly anticipated sequel was originally slated to launch this year for Nintendo Switch, but has now been pushed back to Spring 2023.
Nintendo did not give an exact reason for the game's delay, but its massive scope could simply just require more time to ensure everything is buttoned up and polished. The original Breath of the Wild, released in 2017, revolutionized the open world experience and was considered by many to be one of the best games not just of the year, but ever.
Nintendo is hoping to go even bigger with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 as the adventure goes beyond the ground and to the skies above. But in the update video shared by series producer Eiji Aonuma, the expanded world of the sequel "goes beyond that." Aonuma teased an even wider variety of features, including new gameplay elements and encounters.
"In order to make this game's experience something special, the entire development team is continuing to work diligently on this game so please wait a little longer," Aonuma concluded.
Even with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 delayed, Nintendo has a robust portfolio of games still slated to launch this year, including Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (late 2022), Bayonetta 3 (2022), and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope (2022).