Let’s be practical. While we believe Breath of the Wild is a massively overrated game, 2020 is a big year for gaming. Both Sony and Microsoft are coming out with their new consoles, the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Scarlett, respectively. Both of them launch holiday 2020. In order to compete with the hype between these two consoles, Nintendo needs to release Breath of the Wild 2 during the holiday 2020 season in order to stay relevant. The Switch has only been out for roughly two and a half years, so a new Nintendo console will not come anytime soon. But Nintendo won’t have a killer app for a while. Pokemon is great and all, but Mario and Zelda are the face of Nintendo. If they don’t have a game that knocks it out of the park for the holidays in 2020, they could find themselves behind Sony and Microsoft quickly.
This wouldn’t be too hard either. The assets are already there. The world is already built. All Nintendo needs to do is add in some traditional dungeons, some classic items, a new gameplay mechanic (maybe Zelda as your companion?), and the game is set. While they’re at it, change up some landmarks. The game already seems as if it’s going to be story-based, given the return of Ganondorf, as shown in the E3 2019 trailer. Both me and Jason (owner of Zelda Universe) finished each other’s sentences, predicting a holiday 2020 release date. It makes perfect sense. But the issue is, Nintendo is notorious for delays. They are perfectionists. But this is also a business, and Nintendo needs to realize this.
They’ve come out with some incredible games for the Switch, but everyone’s eyes are on Zelda. This is an indisputable fact. The Xbox Scarlett and the PlayStation 5 are going to sell like hotcakes, whether or not they are up to par or not. Nintendo needs something to counter this. And the only thing that can do this is Breath of the Wild 2. Breath of the Wild sold Nintendo Switches. People bought the system purely for that game. Nintendo then continued to come out with stellar — no, an incredible lineup of games and the momentum has slowed, but not stopped. There will be no new Mario in the near future, but with the announcement of Zelda, it has to come out soon. That’s the bottom line.
One of the most exciting things about Breath of the Wild 2 is the fact that Ganondorf is returning. While Calamity Ganon was cool, Ganondorf has not been seen since 2006’s Twilight Princess. 13 years is far too long for Link’s arch-nemesis. This will no doubt build even more hype for the game, as many old-school Zelda fans have missed their favorite villain. While Breath of the Wild was a great way to bring new fans into the fold, Breath of the Wild 2 will be an amazing way to appease both old and new fans alike. While so many herald Breath of the Wild as the greatest game of all time, Breath of the Wild 2 has the potential to surpass it and then some. It could be heralded as the greatest Zelda game of all time, overshadowing even Ocarina of Time.
Nintendo has the potential to outshine both Microsoft and Sony during the holiday 2020 season with the release of Breath of the Wild 2. Both the Xbox Scarlett and the PlayStation 5 promise to be excellent consoles, but with rumors swirling that Halo Infinite’s lead producer has left the project, the game as a launch title may be up in the air. It is still unknown what Sony’s launch lineup will be for the PlayStation 5, but given Sony’s track record, it will at least be stellar. Nintendo has the opportunity to shine while two consoles are launching, if they release the newest installment in the Zelda franchise holiday 2020. This is almost unheard of, but it’s a no-brainer from a business standpoint. The Scarlett looks to be in trouble and the PlayStation 5 is an unknown at this juncture.
Zelda is Nintendo’s go-to franchise at this point. Link’s Awakening HD is selling at a record pace in the UK. If Link’s Awakening is a holdover for Breath of the Wild 2, it makes perfect sense that the title will launch in 2020. Nintendo cannot miss this opportunity. Zelda’s popularity is at an all-time high, and they need to ride that popularity to no end. If they don’t, they could see themselves lagging behind Sony and Microsoft next holiday season and beyond. Nintendo cannot afford this. With no new installment in the Mario franchise in sight, Zelda is Nintendo’s only hope. It’s the only game that can overcome the launch of not just one, but two new consoles.
If anyone can pull it off, it’s Nintendo. And they very well may, given how the infrastructure for Breath of the Wild 2 is already in place. All it needs is a few tweaks here and there, an added story, and some dungeons, and it will be set. If Nintendo does launch Breath of the Wild 2 in holiday 2020, watch out Sony and Microsoft: your thunder just may be stolen.