The Legend of Zelda series continues to attract critical acclaim and is still setting new sales records. In particular, titles such as Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, while revolutionizing gameplay, continue to be fun, fresh experiences popular with various people. To add to the series library, titles such as Echoes of Wisdom showed that the series is still strongly linked to its roots, as the game’s top-down style and more traditional dungeons were a nice surprise in 2024. Nintendo keeps reiterating that they want a Zelda-related title to release every year.
This year seems to be no exception, with the Dynasty Warriors crossover, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, releasing late this year. There is also the Switch 2 updates of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which are now available on Switch 2. These upgrades improve graphics, textures, and frame rates, and can be purchased for a small fee if you already own the original games. Overall, the Zelda series is in an incredibly healthy position; however, its developers have said that the next big game will be a departure from Breath of the Wild, so we could see a metaphorical upending of the tea table in terms of gameplay in the next big entry. This article discusses these issues.
Hyrule Warriors
The next Zelda-related game that we know is releasing is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. This title is a sequel to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which was released before Tears of the Kingdom and was a sort of prequel to Breath of the Wild. The story was not canon, apparently, yet the title was, and is, a fun hack and slash where your tactics and strategy are key to success, particularly on higher difficulty levels. The story was good, and I was surprised to learn that is not technically canon. The new game will release on Switch 2 later this year. Expect better graphics and frame rate compared to Age of Calamity. Many Zelda fans would argue that this Hyrule Warriors spin-off isn’t a real Zelda game as the gameplay is nothing like traditional Zelda. So, will we have to wait until 2026 or further into the future for the next “real” entry?
Nintendo’s strategy
Nintendo has been releasing Zelda titles almost every year for the past 10 years. A key part of this strategy is to release a remake every now or then. Every 3D Zelda game prior to Breath of the Wild now has a remake that was released either on the 3DS or Switch. This includes Ocarina of Time 3D all the way up to Skyward Sword HD. With Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom releasing on Switch 2, this limits which remakes can now be chosen. Unless Nintendo remakes a game that has already been remade. The other titles that could be remade include handheld titles such as A Link Between Worlds, The Oracle games, Minish Cap, or Zelda 2: Adventure of Link, which appeared on the NES over 30 years ago. The Oracle games are a very good candidate, considering what great quintessential games they are. However, they were co-developed by Capcom, as was Minish Cap, so there are possible legal issues with a remake. There are also the DS games, although their control methods would require great adaptation to work on Switch or Switch 2.
A stab in the dark
So what could the next Zelda game be after Age of Imprisonment? We’ve just had a more or less traditional top-down Zelda in the form of Echoes of Wisdom (in 2024). An Ocarina of Time remake is possible since it has been a long while since Ocarina of Time 3D was released on the 3DS. They could improve the graphics and framerate of the 3DS version or create a new Ocarina of Time from scratch with the power of the Switch 2. For me, that is the most exciting possibility of the potential new Zelda game. Alternatively, we could get an accessible, remade Zelda 2. A Zelda 2 remake has been mooted for over a decade. There were even rumors of it back when the GBA was released around twenty years ago. The Oracle games are another big choice. Veran and Onox were great villains, as was Vaati from Minish Cap. We haven’t seen a Zelda game from that line of games in a long, long time. Even if it brought Capcom in for a remake or sequel of those games, it would be incredibly exciting.
The next big game
However, for Nintendo, remakes are more like side projects. What about the next “big” game, on the scale of Breath of the Wild? Well, a reimagining of Ocarina of Time would certainly live up to that. A new game, on the other hand, could rewrite gameplay and dungeon format. The shrine system was a revolution for Zelda. Could this be incorporated in a new way that feels fresh? Or, perhaps we could finally get a big sequel to Wind Waker, with wind and sailing being key to gameplay. A game like that with an art style similar to Breath of the Wild would certainly do well.
There are some pointers that signify that is the way Nintendo will go next. For example, the Eventide Island challenge in BotW and the release of Wind Waker on Switch Online. Only time will tell which way Nintendo go for the next big game. We might not hear anything for two, three, or even four years. Or, Nintendo could announce something tomorrow. We don’t know.
Conclusion
Overall, the Zelda franchise has never been in a better position. Breath of the Wild has sold over 30 million units, and Tears of the Kingdom has sold over 20 million units. The top-down Zelda, Echoes of Time has sold only two million units. However, the series in general has never sold the former numbers. Before the Switch games, the highest-selling Zelda games were Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess both with under 10 million sales. Nintendo is sitting on a pile of money and has been for a while. Because of this, and knowing their philosophy, they will experiment and create something new and fun, while outsourcing a new remake to someone like Grezzo. What they remake will be is unknown, but I think it is between Ocarina of Time, Zelda 2, and the Oracle games.
Do you think the Zelda series is heading in the right direction?
