The Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel (which most refer to as Breath of the Wild 2 even though the official name hasn’t been released) got another teaser during the Nintendo Direct at E3 2021. Unfortunately, we still don’t know much about Breath of the Wild 2’s story or why Link now has long hair. However, we can make a few guesses about what’s changed about the map and what the plot may be.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 story and map changes
The only fact we know for sure is that Breath of the Wild 2 is a sequel. That means it’ll happen at some point after the events of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Despite Zelda sealing Ganon away at the end of the last game, it appears that he or another entity has caused the land to fall into darkness again.
Hyrule has been transformed, and the sky is dotted with floating islands. Hyrule Castle itself has been surrounded by corruption and lifted into the air. The concentration of darkness there likely means it’s once again the ultimate destination of Link’s journey.
We see Zelda fall into a chasm at the start of the trailer, which means Link is likely on his own again. We can also tell by his long hair that some time has passed since the end of the original Breath of the Wild. The emphasis on aerial travel in the trailer indicates that Link will spend at least part of the game exploring these newly appeared sky islands. However, we can likely count on visiting Hyrule at ground level again as well.
As to how Hyrule has changed, we’re unsure. Nintendo hasn’t shown off the populated areas of the map, and we don’t know how the citizens have been affected. Perhaps Link will find new allies in the sky.
We’ll get a chance to learn more about Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 as the 2022 release date approaches.
