It seems like a long shot, as 2023 is already coming to a close, but a new cryptic post on X (formerly Twitter) has some fans of The Legend of Zelda hoping that a new installment in the series will be coming before the end of the year.
As pointed out by one Reddit user, the post in question comes from Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japan game industry consultancy KantanGames. The message is incredibly brief, coming in at just seven characters, simply reading “Z R 2023.”
That seemingly random string of letters and numbers doesn’t feel like a whole lot to base a theory around, especially one as farfetched as Nintendo releasing a new game in one of its historically most celebrated franchises with no fanfare and only two months to go left in the year. However, Reddit user Mr_Bell_Man, who brought up Toto’s post, also pointed out a second similarly cryptic posting on X that Toto had made back in June 2021.
A Good Track Record?
This earlier post reads, “Z2 22”, and was posted along with an image announcing the Nintendo Direct that would be held on June 15, 2021. It’s believed that the post’s purpose was to predict that the follow-up to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild would be released in 2023. While that particular Nintendo Direct didn’t make any major Zelda announcements (Amiibos notwithstanding), the prediction still turned out to be true, as The Legend of Zelda:Tears of the Kingdom was released earlier this year.
That having been said, at the time that post was made, Tears of the Kingdom’s release window had been planned for sometime in 2022, with the announcement that the window was being moved forward to spring 2023 not coming until the Nintendo Direct in March 2022.
Among those who believe the new rumor might be true, there is still the question as to what sort of game might be coming before the end of the year. Several have suggested it may be a remake or remaster of one of the older Zelda titles, such as Wind Waker, Link’s Awakening, or Oracle of Ages/Seasons. Still others are skeptical that the newest post refers to a Zelda game at all. Fans of the series will just have to wait and see whether Nintendo makes any big surprise announcements before the end of 2023, but time is running short.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
$59 $70 Save $11
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to 2017’s Breath of the Wild. Journey across Hyrule once again as Link to save the world from Ganondorf. With a fantastic new suite of Zonai powers and countless changes made to the lands of Hyrule, you’ll explore the sky, Depths, and surface of Hyrule and enjoy countless hours of adventure in this phenomenal game.
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo