The next Legend of Zelda game has been confirmed to be in the works, but when will it be released and what will it be about? Read on to learn more about when we think it will be released and our theories on what it could be about.
New Zelda Game Release Date and Time
Likely Within the Next 2-5 Years
Although no official announcements regarding the development and release of the next Legend of Zelda game have been released, we do have some confirmation that Nintendo is working on another Zelda title. Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma had the following to say about the next game: "We are very grateful that so many customers have been playing Tears of the Kingdom for so long and deeply, so we will do our best to make the next title even more enjoyable."
With the next title unofficially confirmed, we can make a good guess on when it will be released by gauging the interval between previous major title releases. The Zelda series has been consistent with its releases since the very first game, coming out with a major title every 1-3 years. This was only broken by Tears of the Kingdom, which was released 5 years after Breath of the Wild.
Assuming that Nintendo would still be outputting a similar amount of content to its last two entries, we can assume that the game would take, at most, 5 years to complete. If we’re lucky, it won’t take that long, but it’s too early to be certain. As for which part of the year, most Zelda games are released in the later part of the year for NA after an early-year release in Japan.
Again, the past two games break this pattern by releasing in both locales concurrently during the first half of the year, so we can expect the same for the next one.
The Next Legend of Zelda Game Theories
Tears of the Kingdom Was the End of An Era
The lore and timeline of The Legend of Zelda aren’t at all linear and are beset by multiple time-traveling exploits. With a history split into three alternate timelines, it’s easy to dismiss The Legend of Zelda as a hodgepodge of tangentially related games. However, a closer look at the bigger picture reveals that The Legend of Zelda’s timeline can be grouped into narrative and aesthetic themes we can refer to as eras.
The names to refer to these eras aren’t official, but they serve to describe each one succinctly. There is the "Classical Era" of Zelda games, comprised of four games, including the original game without a subtitle on the NES. There’s the "3D Adventure Era”, which started off with Ocarina of Time and was punctuated with famous titles like Windwaker, Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. Lastly, there’s the "Wild Era", which started with Breath of the Wild (hence the name) and now has likely ended with Tears of the Kingdom.
This establishment of Tears of the Kingdom as an ending to the Wild Era is supported by Aonuma as well, stating the following regarding the game’s finality: "This time, the reason we decided to make a sequel to the previous game in the first place was because we thought it would be worth experiencing new ways to play in Hyrule. If such reasons arise, then we may return to the same world. Whether it is a sequel or new work, I think it will be a completely new way to play, so I hope you will look forward to it."
It’s plain to see that Nintendo may be moving away from the aesthetics, narrative, and overall vibe of the Zelda series’ Wild Era. With Nintendo having done all that it’s set out to do in this setting, we may be seeing our not-so-titular hero, Link, swing his sword in yet another era-defining interaction of Hyrule. Perhaps it could be even farther into Hyrule’s future, or even another timeline entirely, there’s no way to tell at this time.
Who Will the Next Zelda Game Be About?
Link has always been Nintendo’s frontman for the Zelda series despite not being the titular character and there’s no indication that they’d be changing that anytime soon. Although other characters are likely to gain some of the spotlight in the next game, it’s almost guaranteed that we’re going to see Link, or yet another iteration of Link, take center stage as the hero of the story once more.
Judging by Princess Zelda’s increasing popularity and prominence during the Wild Era, it’s likely she’ll be part of the main cast again and no longer just a damsel in distress. There are always rumors that she might even become a playable character, though there’s no evidence to support that theory just yet.
As for the main story plot, the series has never been the most innovative when it comes to breeding new narratives. It’s always been the bog-standard hero’s journey sprinkled with new themes and settings.
Where Will the Next Zelda Game Be Set?
Assuming that Nintendo won’t break the mold too much, the next Zelda game would likely be set in Hyrule again, or at least another version of it. Considering the series’ penchant for time travel and non-linear storytelling, it could also be set in Hyrule at a different era of its history, or even an alternate universe.
Since the Wild Era was set thousands of years into Hyrule’s future, Nintendo might choose a setting deep into Hyrule’s past, potentially branching the timeline into yet another parallel universe.
When Will the Next Zelda Game Be Released?
There has been no official announcement of a new Zelda Game being released soon, but we can make a good guess by judging the interval between previous releases. Ever since the first game, Nintendo’s been rather consistent with its production and release of new Zelda games, releasing one once every 1-3 years. This pattern tightened even more when the series entered its 3D Adventure Era, releasing a major title every 2 years, with a few remakes and spin-offs interspersed throughout. This pattern was notably broken by Tears of the Kingdom, which took a whopping 5 years to develop from its predecessor, Breath of the Wild.
