In a double blow for fans, Nintendo has today confirmed that its highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda game for Wii U has been delayed until at least 2016 – while the title will also not be shown off at E3 in June.
In an official video message posted on the Miiverse, the game’s producer Eiji Aonuma suggested that the title’s open world environment has given the developmental team a much greater scope to create a more ambitious game than originally envisioned. As a result, he added, the 2015 launch date announced at The Game Awards back in December is no longer viable.
Aonuma spoke of “several new possibilities” recently being opened up and explored, with the team now having “the potential to create something that exceeds even [his] own expectations”. Rather than being bound by a rigid release schedule, he said he “feels strongly” that the team’s focus should be on bringing all of their ideas to life in a way that will make The Legend of Zelda for Wii U “the best game it can possibly be”.
In a subsequent comment, the producer also confirmed that Nintendo have decided not to showcase the game at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles, as they will be too busy developing it.
Are you disappointed by today’s news? Will the Wii U still even be relevant in 2016? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments below.