A way of merging the timelines

[dekusprout700]

That is the purpose of a "soft" reboot. it's still connected to the old lore, but it's been so far removed (like over 10,000 years) they can focus on the current situation without worrying too much about previous events. It's why they call everything before BotW the Era of Myths

I see what you're trying to say but it still doesn't make sense if BOTW is to be in the same timeline/universe as the rest of the games. If they wanted a "soft reboot" they could've added all the elements that have appeared in Zelda so far, like the Rito, Zora, Koroks, Gerudo, etc. along with the countless other references WITHOUT adding in the backstory about Ocarina of Time (Ganon originally being a Gerudo who's defeated by a Divine Beast named after Nabooru. Mipha referencing Ruto being in love with OOT Link, etc.) or the other games. The events either exist in BOTW's history or not, and in BOTW they are implied to be true. That can never be a true reboot/remake of the series, characters, and story IMO.
It frustrates me how much Zelda contradicts itself and what a mess its timeline is; I really wish Nintendo had just dropped the idea from the start and made either DIRECT sequels to Zelda games or not mention any specific events from its former entries.

 

[Kerest]

I see what you're trying to say but it still doesn't make sense if BOTW is to be in the same timeline/universe as the rest of the games. If they wanted a "soft reboot" they could've added all the elements that have appeared in Zelda so far, like the Rito, Zora, Koroks, Gerudo, etc. along with the countless other references WITHOUT adding in the backstory about Ocarina of Time (Ganon originally being a Gerudo who's defeated by a Divine Beast named after Nabooru. Mipha referencing Ruto being in love with OOT Link, etc.) or the other games. The events either exist in BOTW's history or not, and in BOTW they are implied to be true. That can never be a true reboot/remake of the series, characters, and story IMO.
It frustrates me how much Zelda contradicts itself and what a mess its timeline is; I really wish Nintendo had just dropped the idea from the start and made either DIRECT sequels to Zelda games or not mention any specific events from its former entries.

A soft reboot, like this, is often meant to be effectively a reset of the universe without necessarily negating everything that came before. By making the three timelines part of mythology rather than history, this is accomplished. In effect, it makes BotW the first "real" game in the setting, with the rest just being various myths that exist in Hyrule (and similar to the various versions of the King Arthur myths in real life). Thus why it can have references to all three timelines, yet not share a reality with any of them.

So it's not the same timeline/universe as the rest of the games.

 

[dekusprout700]

A soft reboot, like this, is often meant to be effectively a reset of the universe without necessarily negating everything that came before. By making the three timelines part of mythology rather than history, this is accomplished. In effect, it makes BotW the first "real" game in the setting, with the rest just being various myths that exist in Hyrule (and similar to the various versions of the King Arthur myths in real life). Thus why it can have references to all three timelines, yet not share a reality with any of them.

So it's not the same timeline/universe as the rest of the games.

I see what you're saying! ^_^ To be more clear, people should just say they think BOTW takes place in a different Zelda universe. This is not confirmed though, and would be another copout by Nintendo if it were, so either way I still see BOTW as yet more proof why the series should stop pretending it cares about staying accurate to its own history.