The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is undoubtedly the most anticipated Nintendo game of 2022, but fans still don't know what its official title will actually be. Nintendo announced the Breath of the Wild sequel was in development at E3 2019, and players have eagerly awaited its release ever since. Initially, the game was announced as a DLC for the original Breath of the Wild, but then snowballed into a separate game altogether. As 2021 marked The Legend of Zelda’s 35th Anniversary, Nintendo announced at E3 2021 that the eagerly awaited sequel would be coming to Nintendo Switch in 2022, much to the delight of fans. While the exact release date is yet to be announced, a greater mystery surrounds the sequel: Breath of the Wild 2's name remains unknown.
Although Nintendo has yet to announce the sequel’s title, it has released two teaser trailers, two years apart, offering a small insight into what’s to come. During Breath of the Wild sequel name referencing Calamity seems unlikely, as Nintendo released Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity fairly recently, in November 2020.
Some fans hoped the Nintendo Direct presentation at E3 2021 would also reveal the game’s title, which unfortunately it did not. When asked why the title is being kept secret by Recent Breath of the Wild 2 patents filed by Nintendo lend weight to this theory, as one patent for "more dynamic poses for archery and flying" implies sky combat may be coming to the iconic game's sequel.
When More BOTW 2 Gameplay Will Be Shown
Since E3 2021, no more trailers for Breath of the Wild 2 have been released. Widespread disappointment appeared online when Nintendo didn't showcase Breath of the Wild 2 at The Game Awards 2021, especially after a cryptic Tweet from Nintendo's initial BOTW 2 announcement at E3 2019, and The Game Awards 2021. Following the show, Twitter was ablaze with disappointed fans, let down by the lack of Zelda content. Strangely enough, some viewers are still unsure which game's premiere Keighley was referring to in his Tweet, as it wasn’t clear from the event and he has yet to confirm what it was himself.
It’s not yet known when in 2022 BOTW 2 will be released but, with 2021 drawing to a close, an early 2022 release date for BOTW 2 seems unlikely. However, as Breath of the Wild was released in March 2017, a March 2022 release date for the sequel would coincide with the original game’s five-year anniversary. It's well known that Nintendo is no stranger to making its fans wait: Zelda players waited two years from the first glimpse of the open-world Zelda concept in 2014 before Nintendo revealed the name, Breath of the Wild, in 2016. The release of Breath of the Wild was delayed twice, with the game finally being released on Nintendo Switch and Wii U in early March 2017, instead of the originally planned 2015.
When Will Breath of the Wild 2's Name Be Announced?
Like its predecessor, Breath of the Wild 2 may suffer from delays, given Nintendo’s history of delaying several of its previous The Legend of Zelda games. It's possible that the release date is yet to be confirmed on Nintendo’s side, hence the secrecy behind the game’s title until a firm date is set in stone. Although some fans may be growing increasingly impatient, especially since the lack of The Legend of Zelda content at The Game Awards 2021, an iconic game development quote from Shigeru Miyamoto, the series' creator, should be paid attention to: "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.”
With Nintendo keeping things under wraps, speculation around the Breath of the Wild sequel continues to grow. Commonwealth Realm, a YouTube channel dedicated to Nintendo and the Legend of Zelda franchise, predicted Breath of the Wild 2's real title will be announced at The Game Awards 2021 or E3 2022. Nintendo does have a track record of making Legend of Zelda announcements at these events. The then-untitled Breath of the Wild first had gameplay revealed at The Game Awards 2014, while its sequel's only two trailers were both released at E3 expos, two years apart.
Game journalist Breath of the Wild 2 by November 2022. Only time will tell whether these predictions are correct but, if the sequel to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is anything like its precursor, it will likely be worth the wait.
