While buzz around the Nintendo Switch has been high, hype around the upcoming game title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been just about as high. There’s been much chatter and debate about whether the next installment in the Zelda series would be available at launch for the Nintendo Switch, and now we have another sign that it could be.
Nintendo Switch leaks heat up
We should learn a great deal more about the Nintendo Switch starting Thursday night and then again on Friday. The Japanese gaming company scheduled a pair of events (one in Tokyo and the second in New York the next day) to share more official information about the hybrid gaming devices. Until then, we have only rumors, although the number of rumors has been growing rapidly in the days leading up to the events.
Nintendo offered a first glance at the Switch last year and then promised more details early this year. The Japanese gaming giant hasn’t revealed what details it will release at this week’s events, although it did confirm that we will finally learn the price and release date for the device. Rumors suggest that the Switch will be priced around $250, and a launch date this spring is expected.
Another accessories leak for the Switch
This latest rumor comes from Twitter user DroidXAce in the form of leaked pictures showing some accessories made by Hori, a well-known manufacturer of third-party gaming accessories. The pictures show a variety of accessories for the Nintendo Switch, all of which look to be pretty standard in terms of what you would expect when a new piece of hardware is launched.
@DroidXAce pic.twitter.com/8nSyHT2CnX
— DroidXAce (@DroidXAce) January 10, 2017
Zelda: Breath of the Wild skins included in the leak
In addition to all those standard accessories, there are photos of a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild set for the Nintendo Switch. The Breath of the Wild set seems to include a pouch for the gaming device, a protector and sticker set for the Joy-Con, a stand for the Switch, and a few other goodies themed with the new game title. The images show the sticker set as having an availability date of March 2017, which is about when the Switch is expected to be launched.
This isn’t the first time details about accessories for the Nintendo Switch have been leaked ahead of this week’s events. Last month, some accessories appeared apparently by mistake on the Australian website EB Games, although they were removed quickly. The accessories revealed that the hybrid gaming device will charge via USB-C. The leak also pointed to a Starter Pack and Starter Pack Plus for the Switch.
We also saw some third-party accessories for the device at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month. Snakebyte showed off a starter kit with headset, a case, screen protector, earbuds, cleaning cloth and bag.
Will Zelda really be a launch title?
So does this mean that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will definitely be a Nintendo Switch launch title? It certainly doesn’t, but it does make it more likely. We’ve been hearing since at least as far back as August 2016 that it would be a launch title for the device, which hadn’t even been officially revealed or named yet. Gamers are more likely to purchase a themed set that matches a new game alongside the game itself. It’s common for retailers to offer deep discounts on themed sets such as the one shown above within weeks or at least months of their launch because as the game gets some dust on it, so do themed accessories for it.
The Zelda series is one of Nintendo’s longest-running and most-loved series, so after completing the newest game, fans wait anxiously for the next episode to come out. Breath of the Wild has been anticipated for a long time, so it’s sure to be a blockbuster hit whenever it does arrive. Nintendo undoubtedly hopes it will bolster sales of its next gaming device, as it sorely needs a hit to follow the weak Wii U.
