Key Takeaways
1. Monolith Soft is becoming increasingly important in developing Zelda games, alongside their work on the Xenoblade Chronicles series.
2. Nintendo fully acquired Monolith Soft in December 2024, allowing for deeper collaboration on various projects, including Zelda titles.
3. In the interview, it was revealed that Monolith had more creative freedom during the development of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
4. Producer Daiki Iwamoto expressed a desire for Monolith Soft to take a leading role in developing future Zelda games.
5. Speculations include a potential remake of Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2, possibly timed with the release of a Zelda movie in 2027.
Monolith Soft is widely recognized for creating the Xenoblade Chronicles action RPG series. Nonetheless, the studio has also become increasingly important in the development of Zelda games over time. In a recent interview, Nintendo’s producer and director Daiki Iwamoto expressed his desire to grant Monolith more creative freedom. He mentioned that after their contributions to Tears of the Kingdom, Monolith is ready to embark on developing a brand-new game in the Zelda franchise.
Nintendo’s Investment in Monolith
In 2007, Nintendo acquired a significant stake in the Japanese developer from Bandai Namco. By December 2024, they achieved full ownership of the company. During this period, Monolith worked on various Zelda projects in addition to their Xenoblade titles. They also played a part in other big-name releases such as Mario Kart World.
Insights from the Interview
The conversation shared on the Monolith website features Yasuhiro Fujita, the studio’s lead animator and now producer. Both Iwamoto and Fujita discuss how, during the making of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Monolith primarily focused on asset creation. The two companies had different philosophies, with Nintendo adopting a more flexible trial-and-error method.
Even with these differences, their partnership thrived as Breath of the Wild began to take form. Monolith Soft was granted greater freedom to shape the game’s design and mechanics. With Tears of the Kingdom, the studio had an even larger role during the initial stages of development.
Future of Zelda with Monolith
The most striking part of the interview came near the end, where Iwamoto stated that he “would like Monolith Soft to take a leading role as a strong partner in building the Zelda series from the ground up.”
There is still uncertainty about how a new Zelda game would set itself apart from those led by Nintendo. It’s possible that they may be tasked with creating a spin-off, with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment being the latest example.
Regarding the next main adventure featuring Link, not many details have emerged about any upcoming project. A common theory is that a remake of Ocarina of Time could be released as a game for the Switch 2. As the Zelda movie is set to debut in 2027, gamers might anticipate a new game release to enhance the film’s promotional efforts.
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