Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom producer doesn't rule out playable Zelda

zelda in the legend of zelda tears of the kingdom
Will we get playable Zelda in next game?Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is finally out now on Nintendo Switch, advancing the game-changing formula introduced in Breath of the Wild.

But one major change fans of the long-running adventure series would love to see is having a female lead. A female Link has been previously ruled out (although we got Linkle in non-canon spin-off Hyrule Warriors), but what about a game with the titular Princess Zelda as the main playable character?

Speaking to Vanity Fair, long-time Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma said: "We feel like what takes most priority is this idea of gameplay.

zelda in the legend of zelda tears of the kingdom
Nintendo

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"If it turns out that the particular gameplay we're trying to bring to fruition would be best served by having Zelda take that role, then it's possible that that could be a direction we could take.

"With that said, of course, because we are not sure what the next gameplay experience is going to be, we can’t say what Zelda's next step is going to be."

Aonuma reiterated that, whatever direction Zelda is going to go in next, it's likely to be quite a while off. When asked if Tears of the Kingdom was the last Zelda game releasing on the Nintendo Switch, he said: "I mean, considering that this one took us five years, it’s a bit difficult to see into the future."

There have been plenty of rumours about a Switch successor, though no new hardware is expected for at least the next year.

the legend of zelda tears of the kingdom official trailer
Nintendo

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Even if that is the case, Nintendo wouldn't necessarily abandon the Switch right away.

While another mainline Zelda from the A-team is unlikely to hit Switch, developer Grezzo has been releasing remakes like Ocarina of Time 3D and Link's Awakening in-between, so maybe there's another one in the works?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out now on Nintendo Switch.

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