Does anyone (besides Nintendo, of course) really know when The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is due to launch? With each day that passes, there seems to be a rumor, retail listing or leak that completely contradicts the previous one, leaving consumers completely dumbfounded in regards to when Link’s next adventure is actually releasing.
The to and fro began last week when noted Nintendo tipster Emily Rogers stated that, according to sources close to the company, Breath of the Wild would not be a launch title for the Nintendo Switch in March 2017, the action-adventure instead pushed back to a summer launch due to the extensive localization work required. Flying directly in the face of that, an upcoming games chart discovered on GameStop’s website yesterday (via Nintendo Life) pegs the title’s release window as Q1 2017 or, in other words, any time before April.
Of course, it’s possible that miscommunication between the retailer and Nintendo caused the discrepancy or, alternatively, that the rumor simply isn’t true, but the rabbit hole continues to deepen today by way of UK retailer GAME. As per a photo (below) posted by Reddit user Takeshino, GAME appears to be running with the idea that Breath of the Wild will hit the shelves in March 2017.
It should be noted that the advert only has the Wii U version pictured, with a vague “also available on Nintendo Switch” notice printed at the bottom only adding to the confusion. While it’s understandable that Nintendo isn’t ready to confirm a definite release date for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, surely it wouldn’t be too much trouble to separate the fact from fiction?
Even if the March date is true for the sequel to 2011’s Skyward Sword, there’s no guarantee that the Wii U and Switch releases will be simultaneous. Either way though, stay tuned for the inevitable follow-up.