It's been a while since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 was announced, and Nintendo has been silent on the title ever since. Given the incredible popularity of the first game, the sequel has become one of the most anticipated games from the company in ages. After two long years, audiences finally have their prayers answered after Nintendo revealed a fresh trailer at E3 2021.
Nintendo arguably saved this year's E3 from obscurity when its event featured not only a new Metroid game but also a more extended look at Breath of the Wild 2. While the trailer still didn't provide many new story details, it did show a good portion of gameplay to whet the appetite. It was short, but just long enough so that important details could be gleaned.
Link will once again be the main playable character, and he's seen using both familiar and new weapons, such as an arm cannon that shoots flames. The trailer shows the Sheikah Slate may be getting an upgrade, as Link has similar-looking runes all over his arm. It also appears he'll be gaining new abilities as well. In the trailer, Link is shown shooting up into the air and phasing through the solid surface of a floating island. Producer Eiji Aonuma later confirmed that players will be able to explore the skies above Hyrule in the sequel.
It turns out that the recent leak of the Breath of the Wild 2 release date was spot on. It will be coming to Switch next year, but there is no exact date at this time. Despite Zelda having a much stronger presence in the first Breath of the Wild 2 trailer than she did in the first game, fans wondered how she would factor into the sequel. Many agreed that, given the relatively small role she plays in most games in the series, having Zelda as a playable character would be a game-changer. The newest trailer still doesn't show what part Zelda will play in the sequel.
Nintendo didn't give out too many details about the sequel this time around but more should be revealed closer to the game's release, most likely through a Nintendo Direct. There are plenty of fan-requested features for Breath of the Wild 2 that many hope will make it into the game, like the return of more traditional, old-school boss battles. It would also be a plus to include more unbreakable weapons. It will be just a while longer until Breath of the Wild 2 releases, so fans may want to check out some Zelda-inspired indie titles to tide them over until then.
Breath of the Wild 2 will release for the Nintendo Switch in 2022.