Nintendo’s ‘U-King-O’ Project Codename Surfaces Ahead of Switch Successor Reveal

Nintendo’s ‘U-King-O’ Project Codename Surfaces Ahead of Switch Successor Reveal With Nintendo’s next-generation console on the horizon, the gaming community is abuzz over a newly surfaced project codename: 'U-King-O.' Widely recognized for its secretive internal projects and creative codenames, Nintendo continues to be a focal point for industry speculation and reporting as it charts the future of its celebrated hardware and software catalogue.

The company’s innovative transition from the Wii U to the massively successful Nintendo Switch in 2017 redefined hybrid gaming, and recent signals suggest Nintendo is setting the stage for its next major leap. The new codename, U-King-O, was first brought to public attention by noted industry leaker Midori, who has a proven track record for accurately revealing SEGA news ahead of official announcements.

On May 12, 2024, Midori posted that Nintendo is actively developing a project under the alias U-King-O but stopped short of providing further details regarding its scope or release window.

This statement quickly captured the attention of the gaming news sphere, with enthusiasts and insiders rallying to decode its potential significance. Industry commentators quickly pointed to an intriguing connection: The original internal codename for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild—a multi-award-winning title released in March 2017 for both the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch—was 'U-King.' The theory, echoed by fans and catalogued in replies on social media, is that U-King-O might represent a port or enhanced version of Breath of the Wild, potentially for Nintendo’s forthcoming hardware platform.

According to frequent Nintendo observer Skipper93653, Nintendo has a history of subtly modifying codenames when re-releasing software on new platforms.

An illustrative example noted is how 'Kinopio' served as the codename for Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker’s various releases, with suffixes appended to denote platform changes. Although this pattern has spurred speculation regarding the nature of U-King-O, neither Nintendo nor its affiliated developers have provided any official statements.

As of this writing, Nintendo Switch remains the company’s flagship console, with the eShop continuing to host a robust library of first- and third-party titles.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild remains a standout success, selling over 30 million units worldwide and reinforcing Nintendo’s legacy for genre-defining adventure games. Nintendo is known for its strict confidentiality regarding new projects and hardware announcements, typically using high-profile showcases such as Nintendo Directs for official reveals.

Until verified information is released, the status of the U-King-O project remains unconfirmed.

Fans, developers, and industry watchers are encouraged to await official word from Nintendo, especially as anticipation grows for further details about the Switch successor and what could potentially be the next evolution in The Legend of Zelda series. We will continue to monitor official channels and report any concrete updates regarding Nintendo’s project pipeline, new codenames, and developments related to the Switch successor.

Stay tuned to our Nintendo news page for the latest verified information.

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