Summary
The Legend of Zeldaseries producer Eiji Aonuma wants to keep making classicZeldagames with a top-down perspective. The industry veteran shared this ambition as part of a recent interview, while reflecting on his overall vision for the future ofThe Legend of Zeldafranchise.
Not accounting for spin-offs likeHyrule Warriors, the Switch has received five newZeldagamessince its 2017 release. Two of those adopted the top-down perspective of the classic entries in the long-running series. The 2019Link’s Awakeningembraced this style because it was a remake of the 1993 game of the same name, whereas the recently releasedEchoes of Wisdomdid so simply because its developers chose to.
Fans of classicZeldagameplay should eventually have even more new titles to enjoy, as Nintendo wants to keep making such games moving forward. Eiji Aonuma said as much in a recentinterviewwith the BBC, where he was asked about Nintendo’s next console. While he unsurprisingly didn’t reveal anything about the much-anticipated Switch 2, this line of questioning did lead to him sharing his vision for the future of the series, which includes more “dynamic 3D” games in the vein ofBreath of the WildandTears of the Kindom. “But in addition to that, we’re also hoping that we can continue with these 2D top-downZeldas,” the industry veteran said.
Echoes of Wisdom Proved Something Important to Zelda Series Producer
The interview also saw Aonuma reveal that he was initially skeptical about the prospects of making another top-downZeldagame, not least because he thought it could be “close to impossible” to do something different with the series' classic gameplay formula. But Nintendo and Grezzo ultimatelyfound a way to innovate by designingEchoes of Wisdomaround summons—the titular Echoes. Aonuma says this experience convinced him that top-downZeldagames still have plenty of untapped potential, which is part of the reason why he now wants to do even more of them.
We’re also hoping that we can continue with these 2D top-down Zeldas.
Nintendo Might Announce a New Zelda Game for the Series 40th Anniversary
No newZeldagames are expected to be announced in the immediate future, at least notuntil Nintendo finally reveals the Switch 2. The Japanese gaming giant said it intends to do so before July 03, 2025. The console itself isn’t expected to hit the market until Q2 2025 at the earliest.
Afterward, it’s possible that Nintendo will announce at least oneZeldagame in February 2026, which is when the series will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Assuming development on another open-world 3D entry began around the timeTears of the Kingdomwas completed, this game likely won’t release before 2028, given the length of modern AAA development cycles. As a result, the nextZeldatitle Nintendo reveals could be another top-down experience closer to the series' classic gameplay formula.
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda is a Nintendo-exclusive adventure series starring Link. Spread across multiple consoles and generations in both 2D and 3D, The Legend of Zelda games feature action, exploration, puzzles, and unique items.
