Daily Debate: What New Tech Will Purah and Robbie Cook Up in Breath of the Wild 2?

Posted on July 04 2022 by Kora Burton

While I didn’t always love having to find Ancient Screws, Shafts, and Cores in order to upgrade my Sheikah Sensor while playing Breath of the Wild, I did enjoy the experience each time I walked into one of the game’s two Ancient Tech Labs. My favorite of the two is the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab where Purah and her assistant Symin research away at the top of the ridge overlooking Hateno Village. The area is peaceful and pleasant. I love Purah’s cute, popping energy and Symin’s earnest zeal for knowledge. The Akkala Ancient Tech Lab is also a treat, though situated in more dangerous territory on the region’s northeastern tip. There, the player can find Robbie, Purah’s research associate (or subordinate, according to Purah), and his wife, Jerrin. Purah and Robbie are useful characters for learning about the current state of Hyrule 100 years after the Great Calamity. On top of that, they are full of knowledge and resources when it comes to combating the evil of Calamity Ganon. Through the Ancient Tech Labs, the player can upgrade their Sheikah Slate and make more Guardian-resistant armor and weapons. They also provide their ancient tech know-how in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and are included as a playable warrior pair in the Guardian of Remembrance DLC pack. To borrow Purah’s catchphrase: “Snap!”

While we don’t know a lot about the role that ancient tech will play in Breath of the Wild‘s sequel, last year we asked you about the potential for the Sheikah Slate’s return, and at the time it seemed to be a given. On the other hand (literally), recent trailer footage seemingly shows Link warding off enemies by using Sheikah Slate-esque abilities with his right arm. This happens to be the arm which has been changed by a mysterious green magic. Trailer footage also shows us Link’s new ability to pass through solid objects with whatever new powers he has gained. Perhaps these powers are connected to the same ancient technology we became familiar with in Breath of the Wild; or perhaps it has something to do with the magic underlying Malice, which seems to be making a strong comeback in the upcoming sequel. I also have to wonder what exactly is altering the Master Sword, which is an image we saw in Nintendo’s most recent Launch Timing Update for Breath of the Wild 2.

All these potential developments make me wonder: what new tech might Purah and Robbie build for Link in Breath of the Wild 2?

I think the possibilities are pretty endless here. We might see a more reduced emphasis on the Sheikah Slate and Sensor alongside Link’s new arm-centric abilities. Given this, maybe Purah and Robbie will develop wearable tech upgrades to power up Link’s limb. It could also be the case that characters like Purah and Robbie take more of a back seat in Breath of the Wild‘s sequel, since all the footage we’ve had so far sees Link alone, diving down from the clouds and hopping around on a new skybound map. In this case, maybe Link will be able to take the past knowledge the two tech gurus have imparted and put it to good use as he forges ahead within the new story and ancient magic system.

Those are just my initial ideas — but what are yours? What kinds of new ancient tech gismos or upgrades will Purah and Robbie come up with in Breath of the Wild 2? Let us know down in the comments!