Legend Of Zelda Switch 2's Debut Release Window Has Gamers Concerned

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Published Mar 7, 2026, 7:00 AM EST

Austin King is the Senior Editor of Gaming at ScreenRant and has been with the site since 2020 with a focus on RPGs and tabletop games. He previously managed content for Geek to Geek Media, and has served as a writer for sites like Nintendad, Geek Fitness, and more.

In addition to his work at ScreenRant, he also hosts the Dragon Quest FM podcast and is the author of several books, including co-writing Nimbus (a #1 bestseller in 2013). His latest is the nonfiction The Dragon Quest Book, available now.

He's written about pop culture, video games, and genre studies over the course of his career. You can find him on BlueSky, X, and at Dragonquestaustin.com

The Legend of Zelda has had an oddly quiet run on the Switch 2 so far. This is especially surprising since the franchise hit its 40th anniversary milestone earlier this year. Now, fans are expressing their concerns regarding a possible release window for a new Zelda game on Switch 2, and it's not looking pretty.

Over on Reddit, one user posited the question: "Do you think Nintendo will release a Zelda game midway Switch 2 cycle or close to the end?" It's a valid question, especially considering how pervasive Zelda games were on the Switch 1, even if the only new mainline games that released were Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Zelda Fans Are Concerned They're In For A Wait

Link is on a sky island overlooking the horizon in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom art.

Of course, one new Zelda game has already arrived on Switch 2. Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment had good reviews, but it wasn't a true mainline Zelda game. So far, that's all we've gotten in the Switch 2's (admittedly short) lifespan. "My fear is that they will release a game like 5 years later as Tears was more recently," reads the original Reddit post. "Meaning that's closer to the Switch 2 end cycle than midway."

A few comments were quick to point out that a 5-year wait from TOTK would be 2028, only 3 years into the Switch 2's lifecycle, which would still be fairly early to midway through. For reference, the Switch 1's lifecycle was 8 years.

When Will Zelda Realistically Make Its Switch 2 Debut?

Link looking on in awe as a mushroom and a piece of meat go flying out of a cooking pot in Zelda BOTW.

Everyone seems to agree that we're in for a wait, but some comments are more optimistic than others. Most users seem to agree that there will be around a 5-year wait for the next mainline Zelda game after Tears of the Kingdom. Both BOTW and TOTK were delayed a bit, but both games managed to come out within 5–6 years of their respective predecessors.

Assuming the devs keep a similar development time, that would mean the next mainline Zelda came will arrive on Switch 2 sometime around 2028 or 2029. Considering that would mean we're still two or three years away, that's pretty heartbreaking news. However, it does feel pretty likely that Nintendo will stick to this kind of release schedule.

Hopefully, we'll get a few more The Legend of Zelda spin-offs to hold us over. Both Wind Waker and Twlight Princess have had rumored remasters on Switch for years, and it's been a while since a remake came out. There's also spin-offs like Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which may get additional entries.