The amiibo are Nintendo's take on the "toys-to-life" craze established by games like Skylanders just before the Wii U era. Each figurine depicts a character from a different game series, often related to a specific title within said series, and has certain effects when scanned into a game. Support has carried well into the Nintendo Switch's life, with games like the upcoming Metroid Dread releasing alongside new amiibo. Thus, it seems likely The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will incorporate them, and it could expand on an interesting usage from the first game.
There have been a lot of downsides in Nintendo's production and use of amiibo over the years. Shortages are commonwhen new amiibo release, and the frustration of dealing with potential second-hand purchases through scalpers is compounded if amiibo act like paid DLC with quality-of-life improvements. Whereas games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate use amiibo as trainable NPC fighters, negligible to enjoy the experience, something like Skyward Sword HD's Zelda and Loftwing amiibo was controversial for facilitating a new fast-travel mechanic many wanted in the base game.
With that being said, scarcity aside, the best in-game usage of amiibo tend to be auxiliary; unlocking something like a cosmetic item or enhancements for an experience rather than extensive new content. One such example is how Breath of the Wild interacted with the Wolf Link amiibo released alongside Twilight Princess HD on Wii U. Breath of the Wild's Link can be joined by Wolf Link during his adventure across Hyrule, which makes for a fun kind of Easter egg with no bearing on the narrative or players' abilities in a meaningful way. This is the kind of functionality its sequel should embrace using the Zelda and Loftwing amiibo.
Breath of the Wild 2: Loftwings and More Zelda References
The E3 2021 trailer for Breath of the Wild 2 offered fans a lot to chew on regarding what they can expect from the game. Whichever dark force will lay siege to Hyrule appears to be lifting chunks of land into the sky, and Link has to either glide between these new islands or use a strange new ability to fly up through solid ground.
This clearly pulls some influence from Skyward Sword, and the full extent of how the minute-to-minute mechanics will change as a result is not entirely clear. Nintendo has not even revealed Breath of the Wild 2's official title for risk of spoiling some of its deeper secrets. However, it stands to reason that bringing players up into the sky will come alongside new means of traversing Hyrule, as there's only so far one can go using a paraglider.
Loftwing could return in Breath of the Wild 2 as one means of traversing its airborne settings, similar to horses on the ground. As the open-world Hyrule introduced by the 2017 Switch launch title features an amalgam of references to previous games and bridges the expansive Legend of Zelda timeline, it's not unreasonable to suggest Loftwing can come back - even if there might be some questions asked by the avian Rito people.
With Loftwing in the game, Skyward Sword HD's Zelda and Loftwing amiibo could add her specific companion (and encourage a restock of the figurine). If Princess Zelda herself has an expanded role in Breath of the Wild 2, this could become a more meaningful Easter egg to include. However, even if Nintendo has no intention of bringing Loftwing back, this amiibo could serve the same purpos, but treat Zelda's Loftwing as a limited-use companion acting like a better paraglider. Companion wolves did not exist outside of Wolf Link in the original, so it's a precedent Nintendo should consider expanding.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases in 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.