Daily Debate: Do you Expect the Next Mainline Zelda Game to Take Place Outside of Hyrule?

Since Tears of the Kingdom’s initial unveiling at E3 2019, one of the main points of discussion within the Zelda fan community has been Nintendo’s decision to revisit Breath of the Wild’s iteration of Hyrule. Even today – nearly a year after the game’s launch – this continues to be a particularly hot topic. Given the six-year-long wait, was this decision ultimately worth it? Was Tears otherwise distinct enough to warrant exploring much of the same territory again? Depending on who you ask, you’re likely to get wildly varied responses.

And though I’m not here to dig deeply into that specific discussion today, the topic does spark a related question: considering the re-use of Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule, are you expecting the next mainline Zelda game to ditch the series’ primary setting altogether?

Of course, depending on the time period and circumstances, Hyrule can adopt a radically different persona, so to speak. Take The Wind Waker, for example: despite being set in the same locale geographically, the advent of the Great Sea effectively created a new setting. Similarly, the relative lack of civilization below Skyloft gave Skyward Sword’s version of Hyrule a unique identity. That said, by virtue of still being set within the same land, even those games carried much of that familiar baggage – the Triforce, the Master Sword, the Demon King, etc.

After this many games in a row, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Zelda team decided to switch things up more drastically. I don’t mean to imply that there’s any sort of rigid timetable for this stuff, but I think the series could benefit from another Majora’s Mask or Link’s Awakening. For as much as I love seeing modern recreations of Gerudo Desert and Zora’s Domain, I’m ready for a bit of a break. Introduce Link to a brand new world and mythology, unburdened by the series’ history.

At the very least, I don’t expect to see a traditional version of Hyrule next time around. You know, the general vision of the setting that was popularized by A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess? No, if nothing else, I foresee them taking a page out of The Wind Waker’s book and altering the land so drastically that it almost may as well be a new world.

I’d love to hear from you all, though. Do you expect the next mainline entry to take place in some variation of Hyrule, or, like me, do you sense a vacation coming? Let us know in the comments below!