Here is a message from The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma on the delay:

“Hello. I’m Eiji Aonuma, producer of the Legend of Zelda series. I have an update to share on the launch timing of the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

“We previously announced that we were aiming for a 2022 release for this game. However, we have decided to extend our development time a bit and change the release to spring 2023.

“For those of you who have been looking forward to a release this year, we apologize.

“As previously announced, the adventure in this sequel will take place not just on the ground as in the previous game, but also in the skies above. However, the expanded world goes beyond that, and there will be an even wider variety of features you can enjoy, including new encounters and new gameplay elements.

“In order to make this game’s experience something special, the entire development team is continuing to work diligently on this game, so please wait a little longer.

“That’s all for today’s announcement.

“Thank you.”

Watch the message in video form below.

English

Japanese