Despite the Switch successor being around the corner, Nintendo’s only gone and confirmed a brand new Legend of Zelda game for Switch in which you play as Princess Zelda – Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

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Talk about going out with a bang.

The new game borrows the fantastic art style of the Link’s Awakening Switch remake, but instead of playing as Link you play as Zelda – and she doesn’t use a sword and shield like her regular hero of Hyrule.

Zelda can make copies of items and enemies to fight with and solve puzzles through. It’s all rather clever, and needs to be seen to be believed. Not one playthrough will be the same, promises Nintendo.

Excited? You should be.

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Read on to find out when the Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom release date is, where to pre-order, and to brush up on its gameplay and story details. Skip to the end of the page to watch a trailer!

When is the The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom release date?

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom release date is 26th September 2024, Nintendo has confirmed!

There’s not long to wait to play the first 'proper' Zelda game, in which you play as the titular princess (sorry CD-i games). The cute visuals and super-smart gameplay will be in your hands very soon indeed.

Can I pre-order The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom?

Yes, you can pre-order Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom through the likes of GAME and The Game Collection.

There is no collector’s edition version of the game, but Nintendo is releasing a special 'Hyrule Edition' of the Switch Lite console, which you can pre-order directly from Nintendo.

Which consoles and platforms can play Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom?

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a Nintendo Switch exclusive, meaning you can only play it on the Switch.

Time will tell if a new version/enhanced port of the game will end up on the upcoming Switch successor, but for now, you can only play Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom on Nintendo Switch.

Don’t expect it on PlayStation, Xbox or PC ever – that’s not something Nintendo does.

Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom gameplay and story details

Echoes of Wisdom screen grab showing Zelda looking at a glowing orb creature
Echoes of Wisdom.

In Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, you play as Princess Zelda, not Link. It’s up to Zelda to save Hyrule this time around.

The official Nintendo page on the game details its plot and gameplay better than we ever could, explaining that: "The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts that have appeared, and with a certain swordsman among those missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom.

"Team up with the mysterious fairy, Tri, and use the power of the Tri Rod to learn how to create echoes, imitations of things found in the environment. You can then recreate those echoes whenever you like to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.

"Create echoes like water blocks to reach new heights, make bridges out of old beds, throw rocks at foes, or find your own creative combination of echoes to do things your way. You can even create echoes of monsters to fight at your side in combat!"

Yep, that’s right, Zelda’s Tri Rod can create copies (echoes) of items and enemies. It’s rather clever, and has led to some hilarious memes. This one from Stoic_Miiverse on X is too good not to share (love their art!):

Just like in Tears of the Kingdom, we’re sure to see tons of hilarious and ingenious clips detailing how players reach certain areas, complete puzzles and defeat monsters.

We spy Legend of Zelda characters from across different timelines and games in official screenshots and the trailer, too. Hmm... what secrets await?

Is there a Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom trailer?

Yep, there’s a Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom trailer all right - the near five-minute trailer reveals the game’s plot, Hyrule setting, cute and incredible visuals, and shows off its smart gameplay. It’s well worth checking out to see it all in glorious action:

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