Nintendo says next Zelda game is unlikely to be a direct follow-up to Tears of the Kingdom
"Well that would be a sequel to a sequel, which is getting a little bit wild when you think about it!"
The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has said the next game in the series probably won't be a direct sequel to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
In an interview with Game Informer, Aonuma and Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi spoke about the reception to the game and what's planned next.
When asked about the possibility of a direct sequel to TOTK, Aonuma said making a sequel to a game which is already a sequel would be "getting a little bit wild".
"We were seeking to build on top of the world we created with Breath of the Wild," he explained, "and really exhaust the possibilities of what we could put into that world." As such, Nintendo sees TOTK as the "final form of that version of The Legend of Zelda," he said. "I don't think that we'll be making a direct sequel to a world such as that that we've created."
As for where the next game will be placed in the complex Zelda timeline, it might be up to fans to deciper the clues and come up with an answer. The pair didn't reveal when the Hyrule of old, which Zelda gets transported to in TOTK, takes place when asked. Fujibayashi instead wants players to act like historians and "define by the artifacts and by the data" presented in the game, leaving players to come to their own conclusions. This answer could differ from Nintendo's intended answer, but Fujibayashi said "both would be correct".
The timeline is something Nintendo keeps in mind when developing a new Zelda game, but Fuyibayashi said only "to an extent". Focusing too much on details can end up "creating restraints for our creativity," he stated, so placement within the timeline is considered but not too heavily.
Aonuma and Fujibayoshi have been revealing more on Nintendo's approach to developing Zelda games, and recently talked about how the team decides on which enemies to include. A live-action Zelda movie was announced last month, and director Wes Ball has said he hopes it ends up like a "live-action Miyazaki" film, referencing the famed Japanese animator.
To help you in your Tears of the Kingdom adventure, we’ve got guides on the locations for the Shrines, Skyview Towers, Great Fairies and Dragon Tears. If you need more combat-focused assistance, check out our armor list and how to upgrade your inventory. When it comes to the story, we have walkthroughs for the Wind Temple, Water Temple and Lightning Temple. Don’t forget to learn how to get the Master Sword, defeat Gloom Hands and unlock the Travel Medallion. For everything else, visit our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom walkthrough.