Sequel to Breath of the Wild Delayed to 2023... And I'm Cool With That

Nintendo came out and announced that the sequel to the highly acclaimed 2017 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been delayed to 2023. 

Breath of the Wild is one of my favorite games and like many of you, I've been anticipating the sequel since it was revealed that it was in development back in 2019. But when Eiji Aonuma said they were aiming for a 2022 release date in a 2020 Nintendo Direct, I had a feeling there was a serious chance that the game would not launch in the year they had planned. No doubt this delay is very disappointing to fans but in all honesty? I ain't even mad. 

Now teenage me would have reacted to the delay of this game with anger and frustration. But adult me has thankfully matured and learned that some things just aren't worth getting upset over.

In today's gaming climate, games can be rushed out the door in a pitiful state they really have no business launching in and be patched up later, a practice far too many triple A game publishers are perfectly fine with. I'm making mean faces at you, Cyberpunk 2077 and Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: The Definitive Edition. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my games to come out of the gate in a competent state to where they don't need to be stitched up like a pair of heavily worn jeans. 

I'd also like the developers to be treated like human beings and not be subjected to crunch. Release the game when it is done and don't overwork the staff just because there's a deadline to meet and stock holders to please. 

2022 is also looking to be a pretty packed year for Nintendo. I'm starting to lose track of all the games I've got pre-ordered on the Switch and I've got games from 2021 I haven't even really dived into like Metroid Dread. We've got 9th generation Pokemon near the end of the year and Nintendo hasn't even shown us what all they've got for us to play during the fall. I already have a ton of games on my plate so I'm not going to lose any sleep over Breath of the Wild 2 being delayed. 

I started playing through the original Breath of the Wild sometime in 2021 after having not touched the game in years. This delay will give me some time to explore ravaged Hyrule once again before seeing what Nintendo has in store for us in Link's next adventure. And that is an adventure I am perfectly fine waiting for.