Zelda Director Planning New Sequel: Latest News & Rumors
The mastermind behind Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, might be formulating ideas for a follow-up. After a successful release, some fans have been passionately hoping for another installment; a few interviews appear to point to the potential of a sequel to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
The recently released Tears of the Kingdom is already being acclaimed by critics. The new Zelda installment has achieved scores similar to those given to its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, which was a major success both financially and in regards to the reception. Numerous reviews have lauded the game’s emergent gameplay, its large open world, and the novel mechanics that provide players with a unique take on a familiar experience.
It has recently been revealed by the producer of [Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom], Eiji Aonuma, that he has managed to beat the game a total of twenty times.
In a number of interviews, Hidemaro Fujibayashi has revealed that he has some ideas for a possible Tears of the Kingdom sequel. This information was originally reported by Games Radar, after connecting the dots between different interviews. The most noteworthy comment was made in Fujibayashi’s interview with The New York Times, in which he hinted that he has a plan for the next Zelda game, and also offered a tease about more content regarding Ganondorf, the main antagonist of the series.
When asked for their favorite sidequests…
Aonuma pointed to one where the player reunites a band. A member plays an Irish drum, an instrument he has loved since Wind Waker.
Fujibayashi said it was the traveling Koroks, because of how gently (or violently) people treat them
— Zachary Small (@ZacharyHSmall) May 12, 2023
In an interview with Kotaku, Fujibayashi mentioned that the team had numerous ideas that could not be included in the final version of Tears of the Kingdom. However, he could not reveal more information, as it could spoil the excitement of the fans. Similarly, Eiji Aonuma revealed the potential of a playable Zelda in an interview with Vanity Fair, which could mean that a new game is being created. It’s difficult to tell if these ideas have already been put into practice or not. Nintendo will be fully concentrating on improving the experience of the current Zelda for the upcoming months, and a sequel won’t be available for a while.
It’s clear that the average gamer will invest a great many hours into Tears of the Kingdom before thinking about a sequel. But one speedrunner had a different approach, and managed to beat the new Zelda in only 94 minutes. Taking advantage of a few glitches, they were able to produce a spectacular video that displays their skill in finding shortcuts.
Tears of the Kingdom, a game in the Legend of Zelda series, can be played on the Nintendo Switch.