The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is reportedly the last "significant" Switch release in the works for some time

By Hirun Cryer
published

There could be a huge gap in big first-party titles for the console after May 2023

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom artwork
(Image credit: Nintendo)

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could be the Nintendo Switch's final "significant" release.

That's according to two reporters taking to Twitter in recent weeks. Firstly, GamesIndustry.biz reporter Chris Dring responded to a Twitter user back in November in the tweet below, revealing that according to his sources, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could be followed by a huge gap for Nintendo first-party releases.

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More recently, VGC's Andy Robinson tweeted that Tears of the Kingdom could well be the final major launch on the Switch, according to the reporter's predictions and rumours of new hardware. Both reporters allege that Tears of the Kingdom might be followed by a significant gap for Switch-exclusive games, if there even is another major exclusive released after the new Zelda title at all.

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Currently, as things stands, Tears of the Kingdom is slated to release before several other Nintendo-exclusive games, all of which are set to launch at some unknown point in the future. These would be Advance Wars 1+2 ReBoot Camp, Pikmin 4, and the long-delayed Metroid Prime 4.

Dring and Robinson are clearly viewing all three titles as far less significant releases than Tears of the Kingdom, or other Switch heavy-hitters like Mario Kart 8 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and it's hard to argue with that viewpoint, given that the latter two games have sold in excess of 30 million units worldwide. Another major Nintendo franchise, Pokemon, saw two big games launch in 2022, implying a lengthy gap before another outing.

Robinson, however, believes Nintendo could begin to look past the Switch as soon as next year in 2024, hence the reason for a gap in major Switch launches after Tears of the Kingdom on May 12. Considering the recent speculation over the cancelled Nintendo Switch Pro, could Nintendo be going a different route with new hardware?

Check out our upcoming Switch games guide for more of what to expect from Nintendo's console. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.