The Legend of Zelda is Heating Up Again! Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and Twilight Princess – Rising Hopes for the Switch 2
In spring 2026, talk of The Legend of Zelda is popping up all over the gaming world. It all kicked off when Eric Barone (ConcernedApe), the creator of Stardew Valley, declared in an interview that "for him, the best Zelda is Twilight Princess." In an instant, social media timelines were bathed in twilight hues. For those who’ve grown used to the boundless Hyrule of Breath of the Wild and beyond, that sombre, weighty dungeon design and the bond with Midna still shine vividly.
In Barone's words, "Zelda has always kept presenting the 'prototype of adventure'." And he's right – the evolution from 2006's Twilight Princess to 2017's Breath of the Wild, and then to 2023's Tears of the Kingdom, isn't just about prettier graphics. It's about breaking down the "walls" of the field. Remember the thrill of stealing the skies with that paraglider? The freedom of crafting and material fusion has easily leapt beyond the usual action-adventure mould.
A Year and a Half After Tears of the Kingdom: Switch 2 Rumours and "Another Zelda"
It's been about three years since Tears of the Kingdom launched, and discovery videos still pop up daily – "I can't believe you can do this with Zonai devices!" – which is classic Nintendo craftsmanship. Meanwhile, industry chatter is steadily shifting to the next-gen hardware, the "Switch 2." I haven't touched one myself yet, but whispers from multiple dev sources suggest "a new Zelda is being prepped as a launch title."
- A 60fps, high-res version of Breath of the Wild (a so-called "DX version")
- An additional scenario DLC for Tears of the Kingdom exclusive to Switch 2
- An entirely new The Legend of Zelda that reboots the style of past games
For now, these are just "rumours," but for longtime fans like Barone who adore Twilight Princess's linear dungeon design, there's also a longing for a "tighter experience" that isn't purely open world. I recently revisited Twilight Princess HD on my Nintendo Switch Lite, and the contrast of the Twilight Realm in handheld mode brought a fresh tension that felt different from the console experience.
Why Zelda, Right Now? The Universal Design Philosophy Hidden in Barone's Words
Barone goes on: "Zelda never just rests on its past. Breath of the Wild smashed the series' conventions, and Tears of the Kingdom went even further beyond that." In other words, if Twilight Princess was the pinnacle of "traditional 3D Zelda," then the games since have put "breaking free from tradition" right at the core of their design.
From that perspective, just imagining what the next Zelda might look like gets the heart racing. Maybe it'll fully leverage the Switch 2's new features (rumoured "camera-linked controllers" and "high-speed streaming assist") to deliver an unprecedented paradox of "building and destruction." Or perhaps it'll refine a weighty, linear story like Twilight Princess with cutting-edge tech – that possibility is still very much alive.
Either way, the Legend of Zelda series never loses that exciting feeling of "you never know what it'll pull off next." Right now, you can easily carry both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom on your Nintendo Switch Lite. Barone's passionate praise for Twilight Princess, alongside his admiration for the innovation of the latest titles, is proof that "every Zelda has been part of his youth."
So, how about stepping into that vast Hyrule once more? Who knows – by the time the Switch 2 is officially announced, there might be one more "legend" added to the list.