Legend Of Zelda Officially Returns To The Wilds Era For New October 2026 Release

Published Oct 8, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work. Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work. While purists will undoubtedly claim that the original run of Zelda games was its golden era, many, Nintendo likely included, would almost assuredly state that it was its Wilds era, starting with the incredible and genre-defining The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Its departure from the more linear, dungeon-focused experiences of the past was certainly drastic, but its unique approach to open-world design, coupled with its meteoric success that saw it easily surpass the sales of the series' previously best-selling game, meant that it and its sequel remain the best-performing and best-known entries. However, as successful as Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom were, it has felt like the Wilds era has been over for quite some time. Nintendo has expressed no desire to capitalize on their success, instead returning to the annals of Zelda history to remake classic titles. This has meant that the future of Zelda games is ambiguous at best, a frustrating wrinkle in an otherwise exciting new era. Yet, while the Wilds era may be coming to a close, Nintendo does still have one final release up its sleeve that die-hard fans are sure to love. As part of the ongoing Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary celebrations, Nintendo has been releasing a string of new products based on the series as a whole and specific eras. This, of course, has most famously materialized as a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a project that both old and new fans are understandably extremely excited about. However, alongside the likes of these bigger, more prominent projects are a few new releases that may slip under the radar. Chief among these is a line of new merchandise based around the Wilds era, including both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. These are being sold exclusively in Animate stores in Japan and cover everything from curtains to figures. In fact, the entire range features 70 different items, the vast majority of which are, unsurprisingly, focused on the Wilds games. To start with, there are acrylic stand figures featuring characters from both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. The six BotW figures and nine TotK figures feature "an aurora-effect finish" that causes "the colors to change depending on the viewing angle," according to the official website, and go for ¥2,200 each. Additionally, there are curtains with "a textile pattern adorned with motifs from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," with an optional Korok-shaped tassel. The former costs ¥5,500, while the latter costs ¥2,420. These items, alongside several other Wilds-themed goodies, are available from October 2. Those who purchase any item included in the range between October 2, 2026, and January 11, 2027, will also get a free bookmark based on either Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. There are six from each game to collect, so there's lots for fans to look forward to. While it is a far cry from a brand-new Wilds game, it is exciting to see Breath of the Wild continue to be celebrated. Released March 3, 2017 ESRB E for Everyone: Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol, Mild Suggestive Themes Developer(s) Nintendo EPD Publisher(s) Nintendo Engine Havok Cross-Platform Play no Cross Save no Franchise The Legend of Zelda Steam Deck Compatibility yes