The release date for the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been shrouded in mystery, especially in relation to its arrival on Nintendo's upcoming hybrid console, the Nintendo Switch.
A new report, however, claims that Breath of the Wild will be available for the Nintendo Switch upon the hybrid console's launch in March.
The Delays Of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild was originally set to be released exclusively for the Nintendo Wii U in 2015. However, the title was delayed twice from 2015 to 2016, with one of the reasons for the delay being that Nintendo decided to launch Breath of the Wild alongside the Nintendo Switch. The hybrid console was then known by its codename, the Nintendo NX.
Reports released in November 2015 revealed that Breath of the Wild might not be ready in time for the launch of the Nintendo Switch. Blogger Emily Rogers claimed that Nintendo was having trouble with the localization of the game, and while it will be completed by December 2016, it still needed to undergo months of playtesting before receiving clearance for launch.
Insider and freelance video game writer Laura Kate Dale, meanwhile, reported that among the launch games for the Nintendo Switch are two new Super Mario games, Splatoon, Just Dance 2017, and Skyrim, but not Breath of the Wild.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Back On Track For Nintendo Switch Launch
According to a new Eurogamer report, several sources claim that a decision was made at the end of 2016 that the Nintendo Switch needed the strongest possible lineup of launch titles, and as such, Breath of the Wild will be released in March for Japan and North America, alongside the hybrid console.
The decision was said to be made by Nintendo's home division of Japan, which has always wanted to launch Breath of the Wild in March. The region that will be most affected by the decision is Europe, as the localization that was previously reported was for the multiple languages that the game is being translated into for European countries. It is currently unclear whether Breath of the Wild will be launched in all European languages in March, other languages will be added through a future patch, or if the game will be delayed in Europe.
At the very least, gamers in North America and Japan can look forward to having Breath of the Wild as an available option upon the arrival of the Nintendo Switch. In a tweet by Dale, she claims that contrary to her previous report on the release of Breath of the Wild, the title will be ready upon the release of the Nintendo Switch, with Dale stating that she has seen the finalized materials as proof. Her tweet corroborates with the Eurogamer report to almost confirm that Breath of the Wild will be a Nintendo Switch launch title.
Nintendo Switch Presentation On Jan. 12
Nintendo will confirm whether Breath of the Wild is a launch game for the Nintendo Switch, along with the other games that will be available for the hybrid console upon its launch, its price, and its release date, in an upcoming presentation on Jan. 12 that will be livestreamed.
