Nintendo might have just wrapped up February's Nintendo Direct showcase, but is a Legend of Zelda Direct also on the way?
The latest Nintendo Direct aired on Feb. 8, focusing primarily on games scheduled for release during the first half of 2023. There were some nice surprises throughout the showcase's roughly 40 minute runtime, such as a number of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games heading to Nintendo Switch Online. A remake of We Love Katamari was also announced with a release date of June 2.
Nintendo's biggest release this year, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, featured heavily in this latest Direct, with more features and gameplay revealed ahead of its May 12 release. But, is there more to come from The Legend of Zelda this year? Particularly as the franchise approaches its 37th anniversary.
When is The Legend of Zelda Anniversary?
The Legend of Zelda franchise will have its 37th anniversary on Feb. 21, 2023. This date marks the release of the first The Legend of Zelda game back in 1986 for the Famicom in Japan. The game received a US release a year later for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
This anniversary isn't really considered to be a major milestone, however. It's possible the date will come and go without any fanfare from Nintendo. In 2021, The Legend of Zelda celebrated its 35th anniversary and, while some effort was made, it didn't quite live up to fan expectations. Many were hoping for a "Super Mario 3D All-Stars"-style game collection which Nintendo rolled out for the 35th anniversary of Super Mario — sadly, that didn't happen.
But, this February would be a convenient time to host some Zelda-inspired celebrations, given a new, highly anticipated game is set to launch in just a few months time.
Is a Legend of Zelda Direct Coming in 2023?
Nintendo has not confirmed if a Direct focused on The Legend of Zelda will be happening in February, or in 2023 at all. That said, the company prefers to make Direct announcements fairly close to the broadcast date. If one is set to happen for The Legend of Zelda, we might not know until a day or two before.
Some leakers think Nintendo still has more to announce. According to Insider Gaming, a Tears of the Kingdom-themed OLED Nintendo Switch could be revealed as part of the upcoming game's collector's editions. Images of the Switch were leaked late last year, and patterns that were seen on its design seem to appear on a box that accompanies the Tears of the Kingdom Collector's Edition.
An announcement of the themed Switch was missing from this latest Direct. If it exists, perhaps Nintendo has plans to reveal it at a later stage. Whether that's as part of a dedicated Direct or just in small social media posts remains to be seen.
This article was originally published on dbltap as Is There a Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Direct?.