The Legend of Zelda is an institution at this point. It’s innovated many times and has hopped over multiple timelines, but everyone is anxiously awaiting to see where it goes next.
Thanks to an interview from 4Gamer (translated by The Gamer), series boss Eiji Aonuma seems to be drawing inspiration for the next Zelda game from an unlikely source. Even if you don’t enjoy this series, it might end up rubbing off on the upcoming mainline entry.
Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma Teases New Inspirations
From A Recent Source
Based on the interview, Aonuma mentions being “beaten to the punch” for the Switch 2 Zelda game in Age of Imprisonment, before throwing a bunch of flowers that game’s way. He mentions the strong collaboration the team had with publisher Koei Tecmo for the Hyrule Warriors series, and asks fans to imagine a world in which Koei Tecmo insight “may be reflected” in the future.
Given how many unique elements the Hyrule Warriors series has, this could cover a lot of bases. Still, it would be fascinating to see more unique concepts in the core series eventually. While many games have a lot of connective tissue that feels nostalgic and even safe at times, seeing the team take bigger swings could help move the series forward. They’re going to need to do something big after how successful and influential Breath of the Wild was.
One interesting thing I’d like to see is the ability for more playable characters, even in an ancillary capacity. The power to go back through dungeons with different eyes and new powers could make for a great gameplay loop, especially with a massive open-world setting. It could also allow Nintendo to make better use of the map, if implemented correctly.
The Next Zelda Game Is A While Away
Who Knows When We’ll Get A Reveal
Everyone is waiting to see whether the next mainline Zelda game will be something completely different or a trilogy entry in the Breath of the Wild subseries. While it seems like Nintendo has squeezed all the juice it can out of that universe, I can see them going back for a hat trick, especially given the sales of the duo so far. Or at least, saddling up for another spinoff ride.
The Legend of Zelda fans are used to waiting, and wait they shall. The gap between Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild was six years, and it took six more years until that entry got a sequel in Tears of the Kingdom. At this rate, the earliest we’ll see the next Zelda is 2029, if we’re lucky.
- Movie(s)
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The Legend of Zelda (Live-Action)
- Created by
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Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka
- Upcoming Films
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The Legend of Zelda (Live-Action)
- First Episode Air Date
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September 8, 1989
- Cast
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Jonathan Potts, Cyndy Preston
