Nintendo’s Direct came and went, with no sign of Breath of the Wild 2 in sight. It must be stated though that this direct was specifically for games that are coming out in the first half of the year; IF Zelda comes out this year, it will be during the holidays. That being said, Does Nintendo really need to release Breath of the WIld 2 this year? The answer is an astounding no. The Switch has so many games coming out in the coming months, in particular exclusives, which cater to everyone. If Nintendo launches Xenoblade Chronicles 3 when they plan to, in September 2022, that will be their single player game of the year. At that point, there’s no need for a Zelda game, which will just cut into the sales of other RPGs and single-player titles.
Breath of the Wild 2 looks incredible and I cannot wait for it, but Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was a far superior game compared to the original. It should be Nintendo’s single player game of the year in 2022, and diverting resources away from its marketing for Zelda would hinder sales. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 sold 2 million copies and at the time was somewhat unknown; now with Pyra and Mythra in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the brand awareness has gone through the roof. After Pyra and Mythra were announced for Smash, Xenoblade 2 actually sold out across Japan. Xenoblade does very well both in Japan and in the West, and if Nintendo were to be able to put together a cohesive marketing campaign dedicated strictly for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, its sales would eclipse its processors and it would be the Switch’s latest big hit.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 isn’t the only game that’s coming out this year though. There’s a brand new Kirby game, Mario Strikers: Battle League, Advance Wars 1+2, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Nintendo Switch Sports, Splatoon 3, Triangle Strategy; and that’s only in the first half of the year. This year is loaded with high-quality content and Nintendo doesn’t need Breath of the Wild 2 to fill in any gaps; they can take their time and polish the game, which is what they do best. The Nintendo Switch software lineup is top-notch, and while the Direct may have seemed like a disappointment at first (before the final announcement), it was a very strong showing.
Zelda doesn’t need to come out in 2022 on the Nintendo Switch. If it does come out, that would be fantastic, but don’t divert marketing resources from all of these other wonderful games simply to market one title, as Zelda would have a massive marketing campaign. So far, Nintendo’s strategy has been masterful: one game at a time, all spaced out. They’ve been doing this for years with the Switch. They’ll need to continue to take this approach. Looking at this year’s lineup, Breath of the Wild 2 just isn’t needed. It’s definitely wanted, but not needed.