The next Legend of Zelda title flips gender roles, lets you play as the princess

In a surprising announcement during today’s Nintendo Direct, a new installment in the Zelda franchise was revealed. In Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Hyrule’s fate rests in the hands of Princess Zelda herself, marking a significant departure from the series’ long-standing tradition of featuring Link as the main character.

The title features a “new gameplay style that breaks conventions of past Legend of Zelda games,” said Eiji Aonuma, the longtime producer of the series, while introducing the game. The live presentation featured a trailer that introduced Link’s mysterious disappearance, leaving Zelda to save Hyrule with the help of a new companion, the mysterious fairy Tri. Armed with a powerful new weapon, the Tri Staff, Zelda embarks on an epic quest to rescue her kingdom.

Scheduled for release on Sept. 26, Echoes of Wisdom promises to deliver a fresh and innovative gaming experience to players. And with only three months before this new chapter of the franchise comes to the Nintendo Switch, players won’t have to wait long to dive into a new Zelda adventure—this time truer to its name.

The trailer revealed a Hyrule plagued by strange rifts that have stolen away the land and its inhabitants, including Link. This time, it’s Zelda who steps up as the hero, wielding the Tri Staff, which allows her to create “echoes” of objects she encounters on her journey. These echoes can be summoned and recreated to overcome various obstacles and puzzles, adding a strategic layer to the journey to save Hyrule.

Echoes are crucial during battles, where Zelda can pick up objects to launch at enemies. Using echoes can also help the princess fight bigger battles and defeat monsters. According to the game’s producer, the gameplay experience will change based on the echoes and objects players collect, encouraging creativity and experimentation that further set Echoes of Wisdom apart from its predecessors.

From rainy forests to lush plains and scorching hot lava canyons, Echoes of Wisdom invites players to explore Hyrule from a fresh perspective as fans will officially journey through the kingdom as Zelda for the first time.