Odds seem good that the Breath of the Wild sequel will bring back the previous game’s armor system, even introducing some new gear for Link to use. If that’s the case, Nintendo should take a shot at integrating a classic feature of loot-focused games: transmogrification. Allowing Link to change the appearance of his armor, and perhaps even certain weapons, would be a perfect way to follow up on Breath of the Wild’s steps toward customization. Nintendo isn’t short on ways to justify transmogrification in terms of lore either, so there’s really nothing in the way of this valuable change.
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The Case for Transmog in Breath of the Wild 2
Transmog has been a valued mechanic in the game industry for a long time. RPGs like World of Warcraft and Diablo make use of it, as do looter-shooters such as Destiny 2. In games like these, armor is a crucial part of the player character’s appearance, so the ability to transform armor’s appearance in various ways give players much more liberty to express themselves and stand out from the crowd. Transmog is most common in multiplayer games, but Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and other singleplayer affairs have integrated transmog systems, which means Breath of the Wild could do the same.
Breath of the Wild could definitely get some use out of transmog. While every set of armor has its uses, they’re not all equally exciting to look at. For instance, the Flamebreaker Set is mandatory attire for visiting Goron City, but not everyone finds this chunky fireproof armor particularly fashionable. Having the option to transmog the Flamebreaker Set into the Royal Guard Set or any other look of Link’s would make traveling to the less temperate corners of Hyrule a little more fun. If Link can change armor for practical reasons in Breath of the Wild, then he ought to be able to change for aesthetic reasons, too.
Admittedly, Breath of the Wild did already introduce some customization options, although these don’t go nearly as far as a full transmog system. At the Kochi Dye Shop, players can adjust the colors of Link’s gear, but not every armor can be dyed, and the dye often only affects certain details of the armor. In other words, players are pretty restricted in customizing Link’s appearance, but Nintendo has already expressed interest in customizing armor in Breath of the Wild. If it was willing to experiment with dye before, then maybe it’ll go further and add full transmog mechanics in Breath of the Wild 2.
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Integrating Transmog into Breath of the Wild
Nintendo can opt for a pretty simple transmog system in Breath of the Wild 2 while still giving players vastly more freedom in customizing Link’s look. For instance, although fans probably couldn’t customize individual segments and fine details of a suit of armor, Nintendo could easily give them tools to simply swap the entire appearance of a piece of armor for another armor’s look. If every piece of armor found is something new that fans can transmogrify Link’s best equipment into, then there’s one more reason to collect every bit of armor possible.
Within Breath of the Wild’s lore, there’s certainly ways that Nintendo can justify a transmog system. For instance, maybe Link can get a special piece of technology from the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab that imitates the appearance of certain armors. Alternatively, there’s magical options for changing Link’s appearance. Hestu, the Korok for whom Link gathers Korok Seeds, is famously capable of modifying Link’s equipment pouches, so it stands to reason that Hestu could help Link transmog his armor too. Maybe players will have a wholly new reason to visit Hestu in Breath of the Wild 2.
Admittedly, it would feel a little uneven if Link can transmog his armor but not customize his weapons, but Nintendo could still give fans an option in this department. The ever-present Master Sword could give fans a way to further tweak Link’s appearance. Although it probably couldn’t imitate spears and other two-handed weapons, the Master Sword could feasibly be reskinned to look like any of Link’s one-handed weapons, from a Thunderblade to a Boko Club. Between this and an armor transmog system, Breath of the Wild 2 could be an even more stylish game than the famously fashion-centric Tri-Force Heroes.
The Legend of Zelda’s New Direction
As valuable as a transmog system would be in Breath of the Wild 2, it seems a little unlikely that it’s a priority feature for Nintendo. Although Breath of the Wild established itself as a major point of change for The Legend of Zelda, one wonders if Nintendo wants to keep aggressively changing the franchise. It’s possible that Breath of the Wild 2 will only make modest changes to Breath of the Wild’s established ideas, rather than trying to add even more drastic changes to the Zelda formula. If that’s the case, then there’s probably no hope for armor transmog.
Even if transmog doesn’t make it into Breath of the Wild 2, though, there could be more customization options in the game. If Link can still collect new sets of armor, then odds are good that new armor sets will join the game. Nintendo could introduce multiple pieces of armor with the same function, giving fans options on how to make Link look when they need a specific function out of his outfit. It wouldn’t be the same as a proper transmog system, but it would be a step in the right direction. For now, all eyes are on 2022 for new Breath of the Wild 2 information. Transmog’s place in the game may be uncertain now, but the wait for regular BotW2 updates is seemingly drawing to a close.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
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