How Breath of the Wild Saved The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda is one of gaming's biggest names, but it was not always doing great. Former Nintendo of America employees Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang recently shared that the franchise was in a tough spot before the 2017 release of Breath of the Wild. During a recent podcast, they explained that fan interest and total sales were steadily dropping for several years.

Ellis noted that Nintendo held focus groups where the data showed a clear decline in excitement for each new entry. The traditional 3D formula that defined the series for a long time simply stopped attracting new players. The team realized they had to change their approach to keep the series alive and relevant for a modern audience.

This need for a major shift led to the creation of the massive open world we saw in Breath of the Wild. By breaking away from the old structure, Nintendo managed to turn things around completely. It is wild to think that one of the most successful games ever was born out of a desperate need to save a fading brand.