The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (ゼルダの伝説 ブレス オブ ザ ワイルド) is an upcoming installment in the Legend of Zelda series in development for the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch. It will be released worldwide on both the Wii U and the Switch on March 3, 2017. A bare minimum of information is currently available, and its connection to the earlier tech demo for the Wii U, if any, remains unknown. It has been stated, however, that it will not be a "traditional" Zelda title, possibly suggesting that a number of changes will be made to the series formula.

According to Eiji Aonuma, Breath of the Wild takes place after the events of Ocarina of Time, hence the Temple of Time being in ruins.

The game will feature amiibo functionality.

Gameplay
On June 14, 2016, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime revealed a trailer for the game during Nintendo's Treehouse Live presentation that the title for the game would be Breath of the Wild, as well as showing some gameplay showcasing the world that Link can traverse. A female voice is also heard saying "Open your eyes" and "Wake up, Link" Gameplay shown during this trailer includes Link chopping down a tree to bridge a chasm, climbing up various structures, using the Bow to shoot down various fruit from trees, cooking on a fire, and using a tool to create objects to help him traverse the environment and kill enemies.

The game also appears to have an equipment system, where Link can equip different armor.

Limited voice acting will feature, though Link himself will remain a silent protagonist.

Plot
Link is awakened from his sleep and guided by a mysterious female voice through the ruins of Hyrule. He learns from an Old Man that a being called Calamity Ganon had appeared one hundred years earlier and destroyed much of Hyrule before being sealed in Hyrule Castle. Although Ganon was trapped, his power continues to grow, and Link must defeat him before he breaks free and destroys the rest of Hyrule.

Development
Development on the game was underway by 2011. According to Shigeru Miyamoto at E3 2016, a team of over one hundred people is involved in the development of Breath of the Wild, the biggest team ever implied in a Legend of Zelda game. Both studios of Monolith Soft will aid in the game's development.

At E3 2014, Shigeru Miyamoto reiterated his ambition to rethink traditional Zelda conventions; in order to achieve this goal, one of the problems he wants to solve is how to create a seamless open world, which may allow players to visit areas in any order, in three dimensions. In addition to revealing the new Zelda title will use a cel-shaded graphics style with proportions and effects akin to those seen in Twilight Princess, the E3 2014 trailer also depicts a massive open world and a cinematic battle between Link wielding a bow from horseback and a large golem-like creature.

The game was slated for a 2015 release, but later that year, Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma announced that the game would be delayed for a 2016 release, still exclusive to the Wii U.

In April 2016, it was announced that the game had been delayed yet again to 2017, because they were planning to make it a Nintendo Switch launch title as well.

In November 2016, it was reported that the game would not launch with the Switch due to localization issues.

A new trailer was released at the 2016 Game Awards, again confirming a 2017 release date.

In January 2017 a new trailer was released during the Nintendo Switch presentation, which confirmed a release date of March 3, 2017, the same day the Nintendo Switch launches.

Limited edition variants
The Nintendo Switch version of the game releases with two limited edition versions of the game respectively called the Special Edition and Master Edition.

Special Edition
This version includes a copy of game, a Sheikah Slate Carrying Case, a Sheikah Eye Collectible Coin, the Relic of Hyrule: Calamity Ganon Tapestry and Weather-Worn Map, and The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Sound Selection CD.

Master Edition
This bundle includes everything that is in the Special Edition with the addition of the Master Sword of Resurrection statue.

Downloadable content
An expansion pass will be released on March 3, 2017. The first downloadable content will be released in the summer of 2017, with the second being released in the winter of 2017.

Expansion Pack Bonus (available immediately when the Season Pass is preordered or ordered):
 * Three new Treasure Chests will appear in the Great Plateau. One treasure chest will contain an exclusive in-game shirt (Link's shirt will have the Nintendo Switch logo on it)
 * The other two treasure chests contain "useful items."

DLC Pack 1 (Summer 2017):
 * Adds new Cave of Trials challenge
 * New hard mode
 * Additional map feature

DLC Pack 2 (Holiday 2017):
 * New original story
 * New dungeon
 * Additional challenges

The DLC Packs 1 and 2 cannot be purchased separately.

Amiibo support
Like Twilight Princess HD, amiibo will be able to be used. The Wolf Link amiibo can be used to summon Wolf Link to help Link hunt animals or defeating enemies. Wolf Link will have the same amount of hearts that were saved into the amiibo in the Cave of Shadows. Other amiibo will also be functional in the game, but the function is unknown. The other amiibo that are compatible with the game are: a Guardian, Ocarina of Time Link, Link (Archer), Link (Rider), 8-bit Link, both Link and Zelda from the Wind Waker, Zelda (Breath of the Wild), and a Bokoblin.

Merchandise

 * The Complete Official Guides by Piggyback, a standard edition, a collector's edition and a deluxe edition.
 * Official Link 25 cm figurine by First 4 Figures in Europe.