While the forthcoming open-world Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild enjoys ample anticipation from Nintendo loyalists, it seems to be progressively suffering unfortunate delays as it goes further in development.

It has been widely believed that the latest entry in the Zelda series may be launching alongside Nintendo's newly announced hybrid console, the Nintendo Switch, but that release date seems bleak now too.

Legend of Zelda Won't Launch With The Nintendo Switch

It has been reported recently that Breath of the Wild might skip launching alongside the Switch because the game is slated to go through rigorous months of playtesting before a public release, according to Eurogamer and Emily Rogers, whose Nintendo-related forecasts have been pretty spot on, predicting the Switch back when it was just called the NX.

Then, retailer GameStop suggested otherwise, forecasting that we might see Nintendo release Breath of the Wild as a launch title when the Switch hits shelves in March.

However, Laura Kate Dale, an increasingly consummate informant on Switch-related news, has suggested that GameStop has backed down on its original Q1 2017 forecast for Breath of the Wild, listing the game as coming in 2017 in general, with no specific month, putting fans of the series in an appallingly dispirited mood.

Gamestop has changed Q1 2017 BOTW to 2017 in general.

— Laura Kate Dale (@LaurakBuzz) November 23, 2016

Other Possible Launch Titles

While Breath of the Wild isn't coming to the Switch on day 1, several rumored games are still slated to coincide with the Switch's release, including a new Super Mario 64-ish Mario game we saw in the console's reveal trailer, which, according to Eurogamer, is locked for a day 1 release.

Another Mario game may also hit the console in its launch day, this time being a Super Mario and Rabbids crossover, which sees Nintendo collaborating with Ubisoft. Laura Kate Dale has also provided a long list of possible games to be released during the Switch's first six months and beyond, including Guardians of the Galaxy and ports of existing Wii U games such as Super Mario Maker, Mario Kart 8 and Xenoblade X.

There's still no definite release date for Breath of the Wild, and it's unclear if the game will make an appearance as a playable demo in Nintendo's upcoming Jan. 12 event, where it would reveal more details about its latest hybrid console.

If you're itching for a Legend of Zelda experience while you wait for the release of Breath of the Wild, you can always play Wind Waker HD or Twilight Princess HD in the meantime, assuming you haven't sold your Wii U yet to save up for the Switch.