There were only 10 games available for the Nintendo Switch on its release day, but one of them,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, was so good that it single-handedly made up for the console’s underwhelming launch lineup.Breath of the Wildhad been in the works for years before the Switch was even announced. It was originally going to be one of the flagship titles for the Nintendo Wii U, but after several setbacks in the game’s development, its release was pushed back to align with the Switch’s launch.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildcame out on both the Wii U and the Switch in 2017, and it kicked off what would eventually become one of Nintendo’s most successful console generations.
Breath of the Wildwent on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-sellingZeldagame of all time by a large margin. It also received near-perfect scores from most gaming outlets, securing itself the number two spot on the “best games of all time” list on review aggregator OpenCritic. Taking all this into account, it’s hard to argue against the notion thatBreath of the Wildis one of thebest console launch titles ever made, up there with the likes ofHalo: Combat EvolvedandSuper Mario 64. It’s such a great game, in fact, that Nintendo is reportedly planning to release a remastered version of the title for its next-generation console.
A Breath of the Wild Remaster for the Switch 2 is Reportedly in the Works
Rumors about aThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildremaster for the successor to the Nintendo Switch have been circulating since late 2023. The gaming websiteEurogamer was the first to reporton its existence. Shortly after Gamescom 2023, Eurogamer’s sources alleged thatthe Switch 2 had been shown off behind closed doorsto developers during the event. According to the report, one of the titles demoed for the console was a “souped-up version” ofBreath of the Wild. Eurogamer claimed, however, that this enhancedZeldaport was a mere tech demo, and that there were no indications a remaster of the game would actually be released to the public.
This allegedBreath of the WildSwitch 2 portwas brought up again in mid-2024, this time by the well-known insider Midori (now known as RyanFromTheBronx). In a post on Twitter, Midori claimed that a new game was in development at Nintendo with the codename “U-King-O.” While that didn’t seem like anything significant at first, some Twitter users pointed out that “U-King” was the codename that Nintendo had used forBreath of the Wildwhen it was still in development. Therefore, the “-O” suffix seemed to suggest that a new version of the game was in the works. This rumor was further corroborated by fellow insider Samus Hunter in December 2024.
Nintendo Should Bundle the Rumored BOTW Remaster With Tears of the Kingdom
RemasteringThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwould be a great move, considering how limited the game’s technical capabilities are on the current Switch hardware. With that said, Nintendo could take this rumored re-release to the next level by packaging it together with a Switch 2 port ofBreath of the Wild’s 2023 sequel,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. A discounted bundle of the two games would probably sell like hotcakes on the Switch 2, especially if Nintendo could get them to run at a stable 1440p 60 FPS.
Admittedly, the chances of Nintendo sellingBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomtogether for, hypothetically, $80-$100 is pretty slim, given how stingy the company can be with its pricing. PS4 and Xbox One exclusives likeUncharted 4andGears 5can practically be picked up for pennies, but major first-party Switch games rarely go below the $30-$40 price range. If Nintendo does develop remasters of bothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomfor the Switch 2, it’ll probably bundle them together at a high price or sell them separately.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
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Forget everything you know aboutThe Legend of Zeldagames. Step into a world of discovery, exploration, and adventure inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the acclaimed series. Travel across vast fields, through forests, and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the kingdom of Hyrule in this stunning Open-Air Adventure. Now on Nintendo Switch, your journey is freer and more open than ever. Take your system anywhere, and adventure as Link any way you like.
