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Zelda Multiplayer Could Be Next After Breath of the Wild

Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma says he'd like to take what he learned from Breath of the Wild and make a multiplayer game around it.

31 Comments

The Legend of Zelda series is no stranger to multiplayer games, and it looks like we could get a new one after Breath of the Wild. Franchise producer Eiji Aonuma says he'd like to take another shot at making a multiplayer Zelda game.

"I would like to take what I learned from Breath of the Wild and see if we can somehow fuse those learning points into another multiplayer Zelda," Aonuma told IGN. "That's definitely a possibility and we will continue to [experiment] throughout the Zelda franchise."

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Now Playing: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Official Game Trailer

Games in the series to feature multiplayer include Four Swords Adventures, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and last year's Tri Force Heroes. The Wind Waker also featured a type of multiplayer, where a second player would connect a Game Boy Advance to the GameCube, move an icon around, and grant access to exclusive items.

We learned a lot about the upcoming Breath of the Wild at E3. You can read our hands-on impression here or watch the game's trailer here. Additionally, there's more to learn about the upcoming Zelda through the links below.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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nintendians

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I don't know about a multiplayer Zelda game/addon, probably won't play that part of the game because I am uncertain about it.

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Slypher9

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Sure you can add/do a multi-player mode, but don't let it be the main thing...

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PlaystationZone

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No Zelda only online it wont work. Zelda creator know how destroy zelda series if do online game only .

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PlaystationZone

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Why new zelda game under Willu and 3Ds. I through only coming to Willu and NX.

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PlaystationZone

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Zelda dont need online. creator know how destroy zelda series if do.

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ethanm1834

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Hard Pass on this. I'll stick to single player Zelda.

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shoopsbox

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What makes Zelda what Zelda is - is having a solitary exploration and tasks that accompany that purpose. A multiplayer Zelda is the dumbest idea ever and would drive away the core gamers that have loved the game since the first gold cartridge.

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EF56SD

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@shoopsbox: No it wouldnt. Youre being over dramatic. They had a couple MP Zeldas on DS and 3DS, didn't they?

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Rufus_the_rat

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Edited By Rufus_the_rat

They can barely get a good single player Zelda done once every decade. They have needed the help of other Nintendo studios like Monolithsoft just to get BoTW done. So they shouldn't even think for a second about diverting precious resources toward multiplayer. Or the NX will suffer the same fate as the Wii U and not have a console exclusive Zelda game on it before it too dies.

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EF56SD

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@Rufus_the_rat: If they put a Zelda out every few years, it wouldnt work. The games are ALWAYS the same basic story just re-told with a twist or new environment. The formula would become stale.

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BeefoTheBold

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Edited By BeefoTheBold

Multiplayer Zelda game? Do not want.

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deactivated-58665de2b7181

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BoTw looks awful. I can't stand the graphics.
Hate the idea of multiplayer unless you design your own hero or something. Then in the end what does it really accomplish? Absolutely nothing. Just more cash grabs to make everyone own a copy of the game because I doubt it would have local co-op which (note to devs) IS IN FACT MULTIPLAYER.

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Rufus_the_rat

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Edited By Rufus_the_rat

@GiftOrGone:

Yeah, the washed out empty barren look does not really impress me. At this point in development, the best thing they could probably do is amp up the colour gamma to more colosely resemble cel shaded animation (like Wind Waker). At least that would give some vibrant life to a rather dismal looking world. It's possible that if the game ran at 1080p on NX, that would help the graphics pop better as well. However, Xenoblade X looks much better than BoTW even though it too runs at 720p.

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iandizion713

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Four Swords please!

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Omnicrono

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Sounds good to me. It worked very well for Four Swords Adventures and Tri Force Heroes, so I'd be interested to see what they come up with based on the learning points of BotW he was talking about.

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catsimboy

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STOP! Stop thinking of "How can we innovate?" and instead think "Does that innovation really add anything and is it worth it if it's a detriment to the core theme of the game?" Sure it would be fun to have a co-op partner in a Zelda game but think of how the game would have to be changed to accommodate that. Think of how every combat challenge would have to change to make it so the co-op partner doesn't make it super easy or how dungeons would have to change so a second player doesn't break the puzzles. And putting competitive multiplayer is just stupid and not in line with Zelda at all. It would be a completely segregated experience and a distraction from the main game.

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Henry518

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@catsimboy: Asking Nintendo to stop trying to innovate? That's their nature, man. Honestly, there are so many similar games nowadays I don't mind Nintendo taking risks trying to do something different. Even though Breath of The Wild is not a new formula in the videogame industry, it is in the Zelda franchise and that's why people are loving it. If they make another Zelda with a whole different feature like Breath of The Wild, I'm sure people will love that too.

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catsimboy

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@Henry518: So BotW being open-world isn't really that innovative but since it's Nintendo HOLY CRAP give them all the accolades! And multiplayer Zelda is obviously not new either with the Four Swords and Triforce Hero games, but they're spin-offs. Innovation for innovations sake is what got Nintendo into the mess they're in. Going open world was a natural progression for the series, adding multiplayer is not. Too many sacrifices have to be made of the story and atmosphere of the game to make it so you can have your buddy 420BlazeIt running around attacking Cuckoos while you try to talk to a villager.

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ChunkyDrawers

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Just make a freaking mmo then...

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deactivated-57cadb5cefcfc

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Do they all just sit around a huge table and say "So, the agenda today is how much can we **** up our most successful and beloved francise". "How about we make it multiplayer?". "That... Is... Genius!!"

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catsimboy

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@themacaster96: It's multiplayer, it has no story, all of your attacks are limited use hats that you collect, amiibos are the only way to communicate, and you need to enter a 15-digit friend code every time you log in.

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Rufus_the_rat

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Edited By Rufus_the_rat

@catsimboy:

Some of the existing Zelda games have next to no real story (in terms of characterization), and you often collect things like masks and caps to provide you with new attacks and abilities. In other words, your doomsday scenario is honestly not that much of a stretch for this franchise. Triforce Heroes is practically there already.

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catsimboy

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@Rufus_the_rat: There's plenty of story in the Zelda games, it's just not the main story. It's the side stories and characters you encounter on the way to completing the same old "get the triforce, save the day" that are compelling. In Majora's Mask there's story behind each mask like the Zora rockstar or the cursed man ashamed to meet his betrothed. Stuff like that would be lost if they had to keep the game quick and not too complicated so your co-op partner doesn't get bored as you go around talking to people or watching cutscenes.

People need to stop holding up Four Swords and Triforce Heroes, those are spin-offs. It would suck if Zelda became such an arcade-y game with self-contained levels and dumb competition to collect rupees.

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Xristophoros

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and what did we all learn about zelda mp? it is not fun and has no place in any zelda game. nothing else to add about that.

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iandizion713

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@Xristophoros: Tri-Force Heroes is super fun with others.

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ballaShotCaller

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@Xristophoros: four swords is fun

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coreyr84

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No.

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DaVillain

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DaVillain  Moderator

Good for them if they can pull it off I guess, but I really like this franchise single player only. TFH was an utter flop to me. It's nothing but a dungeon simulator with removal of over-world exploration. Each area is so tiny with little to do or even search for outside of the puzzles/fights. The Four Swords titles didn't have this issue.

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Dark_Mits

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The problem with multiplayer LoZ is mostly the lore. Every game is about Link saving Zelda from Ganon (aside from 2-3 exceptions), and all multiplayer modes so far are of the type "Link splits into multiple personalities", which is weak from a storytelling point of view.

And of course, the fact that you and the other player(s) will not agree on what to do.

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Vilified_Signals

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No, thank you. I do not want anything to do with LoZ multiplayer.

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elheber

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Hyrule MMO. Any takers?

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