This section of the page is incomplete. You can help Zelda Wiki by
expanding it
.
The title's appearance
Some time after the events of
Breath of the Wild
,
Gloom
started to appear in the caverns beneath
Hyrule Castle
.
[5]
Link
and Zelda entered these caverns, which were a well-guarded secret of the royal family. In the caverns, they found statues of
Zonai
and paintings of the invasion of the Demon King in the time of the Zonai. Soon after, they come across the corpse of
Ganondorf
, who promptly reawakens and uses
Gloom
to corrupt the
Master Sword
and Link's right arm, reducing his
Stamina
and
Heart Containers
to their minimum in the process. Zelda slips into a deep hole and Link lunges to catch her, but his corrupted arm causes him to miss. Zelda vanishes in a bright light instead of falling any farther, while Link is caught by a disembodied arm.
When Link wakes up, he hears a mysterious voice say that he was saved, but that his arm had to be replaced with the
Right Arm
. Exiting the
Room of Awakening
, he meets a
Steward Construct
who gives him the
Purah Pad
. After this, he dives down on to the main area of the
Great Sky Island
. He makes his way to the
Temple of Time
and he soon discovers that the voice was the voice of
Rauru
, and that the replacement arm was originally Rauru's. While Link tries to enter the temple and find Zelda, he is blocked by a Zonai lock. Rauru directs Link to the three
Shrines of Light
on the island. When Link enters those shrines, Rauru gives Link the three main
Ancient Powers
of the game:
Ultrahand
,
Fuse
, and
Ascend
. Once Link collect the
Lights of Blessing
from these shrines, he returns to the Temple of Time. He enters, and a ghostly apparition of Zelda appears, giving Link the rune
Recall
. Rauru speculates that that was not the real Zelda, before disappearing. Link continues through the temple before his path is blocked by another gate, which Link needs four hearts to continue through. Here, Rauru points Link to the fourth shrine, the
Nachoyah Shrine
in order to get the fourth Light of Blessing so he can trade it off at the
Goddess Statue
for a heart. Link opens the gate and Rauru appears telling Link that it was so nice to meet him before disappearing. Link walks across a long platform before finding a glowing pedestal. He puts the
Master Sword
on the pedestal which transports it to Zelda in ancient Hyrule. Link then skydives off the Great Sky Island, landing in the
Bottomless Pond
.
This section of the page is incomplete. You can help Zelda Wiki by
expanding it
.
Development
Development of the twentieth game in
The Legend of Zelda
series
began in 2017 after the production for
Breath of the Wild
concluded.
[7]
During the
E3 2019
Nintendo Direct
, it was announced that it would be a sequel to
Breath of the Wild
.
[8]
[9]
The idea of creating a direct sequel came from the fact that
Eiji Aonuma
, producer of
Breath of the Wild
, wanted to revisit the same
Hyrule
while incorporating a new story and gameplay mechanics.
[2]
Initially, new ideas were thought of for DLC but evolved into a new game when too many were gathered.
[10]
Tears of the Kingdom
is compatible with various
The Legend of Zelda
amiibo
which allow
Link
to receive additional fabric for his
Paraglider
that changes its appearance. A
Tears of the Kingdom
series Link amiibo was announced on February 8, 2023 that released alongside the game on May 12, 2023.
[11]
On June 21, 2023, amiibo figures of
Zelda
and
Demon King Ganondorf
were announced, and they were later released on November 3, 2023.
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
Post-launch Content
While no DLC for
Tears of the Kingdom
was announced during the trailers, the footer of the
official
Tears of the Kingdom
website
featured a disclaimer for purchasing DLC to use for the game, "Full version of game required to use DLC for that game. Sold separately."
[16]
[17]
While this was not a confirmation that DLC would be coming to the game, many fans speculated on the likelihood before the game's release, increasing the overall excitement for the new game in the fanbase. The clause was removed from the website footer on April 13, 2023.
[18]
On September 6, 2023,
Hidemaro Fujibayashi
revealed that Nintendo has no plans to release DLC for
Tears of the Kingdom
.
[19]
Addressed several issues to improve the gameplay experience
Version 1.1.1
May 18, 2023
Addressed several issues to improve the gameplay experience
Version 1.1.2
May 25, 2023
Addressed several issues to improve the gameplay experience
Version 1.2.0
June 4, 2023
Added compatibility to receive bonuses from the News Channel
Addressed several issues to improve the gameplay experience
Version 1.2.1
August 22, 2023
Addressed several issues to improve the gameplay experience
Trailers and Marketing
The announcement trailer shows
Link
and
Zelda
exploring an unknown subterranean
Zonai Ruin
. They arrive in a cavern where
Ganondorf
's body is held in suspended animation, gripped by a pale, ghostly hand. Ganondorf stirs amidst an earthquake, and the trailer then cuts to a view of
Hyrule Castle
from the
Great Plateau
. As the ground shakes, the Castle is seen rising into the air. Text is then displayed announcing the development of a sequel to
Breath of the Wild
.
[9]
During the announcement of
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
on September 8, 2020, Eiji Aonuma said that Nintendo was still working on the game and that the fans would have to wait before getting any news. Later, in a December interview, Nintendo of America president
Doug Bowser
added that the contents of the game would be shown when they felt they had enough to show.
[20]
The second trailer and first gameplay showcase aired on June 15th, 2021, during the
E3 2021
Nintendo Direct
.
[21]
In the second trailer during
E3 2021
, gameplay footage showed Link skydiving and
paragliding
among landmasses floating in the sky. Link is seen battling various enemies, such as a
Stone Talus
carrying a
Monster Stronghold
. Link also wields new abilities which seemingly come from his altered right arm. The first is
Recall
, an ability that can move an
Object
backward on the path it came from. The second is
Ascend
, an ability that phases Link through a solid structure from underneath. The trailer concludes with scenes of Hyrule Castle being violently lifted from the ground by a huge mass of
Malice
.
[21]
[22]
An estimated release date for the game was also announced to be sometime during 2022.
On March 29, 2022, Nintendo released a video where Eiji Aonuma announced that development time had been extended, with the game being set to release in the spring of 2023. A short gameplay clip was premiered that showcased Link's new outfit and a heavily damaged
Master Sword
.
[23]
The third trailer for the game was shown in the September 13, 2022 Nintendo Direct, where the title and release date, May 12, 2023, were revealed.
[24]
In the trailer, a large portrait similar to the
Calamity Ganon Tapestry
was shown depicting
Soldiers
fighting with
Moblins
and
Bokoblins
, an unknown figure surrounded by seven symbols, and a few people resembling Zelda and the corpse from the announcement trailer. Afterward, more gameplay footage shows Link pushing open a large door and jumping into a free fall. Next, Link jumps onto a large boulder traveling into the air, showing a giant storm forming nearby. Next, Link climbs up the root of a Tree sticking out of a floating rock. Finally, Link falls out of the sky above Hyrule and lands on a large, flying mechanism, which he appears to pilot. Nintendo UK did not livestream the Nintendo Direct as a mark of respect during the national period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.
[25]
Nintendo UK later acknowledged the announcement in a Twitter post on October 3rd.
[26]
The fourth trailer for the game was shown in the February 8, 2023 Nintendo Direct. Many new mechanics, locations, and enemies were all shown during the trailer, and the release date of May 12, 2023 was reconfirmed.
[27]
The game was also opened for pre-orders on the
Nintendo eShop
which revealed the game to retail for $70 USD.
[28]
A
Collector's Edition
was also announced to be released on the same day. Finally, an
amiibo
of
Link
from the game was announced to also release on the same day.
[11]
12 minutes of gameplay were showcased by Eiji Aonuma on Nintendo's YouTube channel, alongside an announcement for a Tears of the Kingdom-themed Nintendo Switch - OLED Model, as well as a themed Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and a Nintendo Switch carrying case.
[29]
It premiered on March 28, 2023.
[30]
[31]
The fifth and final pre-launch trailer for
Tears of the Kingdom
premiered on YouTube on April 13, 2023.
[32]
Special Editions
The North American
Collector's Edition
A
Collector's Edition
was announced for North America during the February 8, 2023 Nintendo Direct. The
Collector's Edition
includes the game, a SteelBook, an ICONART poster, a Pin Set, and an Art Book.
[33]
Bundles
The My Nintendo Store in the UK are offering three bundles in addition to the standard and Collector's Edition. All three come with a physical copy of the standard edition of
Tears of the Kingdom
.
One includes a Notebook with game's logo imprinted on the front and a symbol with the damaged Master Sword imprinted on the back.
One includes a 75mm Collector's Medal with a display box.
One includes both the Notebook and Collector's Medal.
Pre-Order Bonuses
At GameStop, EB Games retailers, consumers who pre-ordered
Tears of the Kingdom
received various products depending on their region. Consumers in the United States received a Wooden Plaque with artwork from the game.
[34]
Consumers in Canada received a Pin Set of
Link
and
Zelda
based on the promotional artwork of the game.
[35]
Consumers in Australia received a Luggage Tag with the game's logo printed in black.
[36]
Additionally, GameStop and EB Games retailers will distribute the pre-order bonuses to consumers who buy the game after release, while supplies last.
Walmart retailers also provided bonuses to consumers who pre-order
Tears of the Kingdom
. Consumers in Canada received a luggage tag with the game's logo printed in black.
[37]
Consumers in America first received a gold wall scroll then a black one after the gold color sold out.
[38]
Consumers in the UK who pre-ordered
Tears of the Kingdom
, the Collector's Edition or any of the three bundles from the My Nintendo Store received a Luggage Tag with the game's logo imprinted on it and a Collector's Coin.
[39]
In Japan, Amazon offered a spoon or fork with
Tears of the Kingdom
.
[38]
In America, Target is offering an "Adventure Hip Pack" with in-store purchases of
Tears of the Kingdom
.
[38]
In America, Best Buy offered a framed artwork with pre-orders of
Tears of the Kingdom
.
Audience Reception
This section of the page is incomplete. You can help Zelda Wiki by
expanding it
.
The announcement of
Tears of the Kingdom
under the name "Sequel to
Breath of the Wild
" was celebrated by fans across the world as
Breath of the Wild
was one of the most popular games on the
Nintendo Switch
and was known throughout the gaming community, especially after winning the Game of the Year award at the 2017 Japan Game Awards.
[40]
Many fans speculated about whether
Zelda
would be a playable character and/or if multiplayer would be available, but when asked, Aonuma declined to answer.
[41]
When the title of
Tears of the Kingdom
was revealed during the September 13, 2022
Nintendo Direct
, many fans were unsure whether the name referred to tears as in crying, or tears as in rips.
[42]
Nintendo cleared up the confusion a few days later and confirmed that the name refers to tears as in crying.
[43]
Sales
Tears of the Kingdom
sold over 10 million copies on its first three days, becoming the fastest selling game in the series.
[44]
With over 4 million copies sold in America, it is also the fastest selling
Nintendo Switch
and
Nintendo
game overall in that territory.
[45]
As of June 2023, it is the second best-selling game of the year.
[46]
Tears of the Kingdom
has sold a total of 20.80 million copies as of June 30, 2024.
[47]
Reviews
Tears of the Kingdom
received critical acclaim upon release, with IGN, GameSpot, and Destructoid all giving the game a 10/10, and receiving a score of 96/100 from review aggregator Metacritic.
[48]
Before its release, it became the highest rated game of all time on review aggregator OpenCritic with an original score of 97.223.
[49]
[50]
Awards
Nintendo's Game of the Year nominees at The Game Awards 2023
Tears of the Kingdom
was nominated several times at The Game Awards and the Golden Joystick Awards for the most anticipated/wanted game category, but was beaten out by other games. The game won at both events in 2022, most likely due to a combination between the title of the game finally being announced which renewed excitement and for the release of
Elden Ring
, a heavy competitor against
Tears of the Kingdom
that was no longer present.
[51]
After being released in 2023,
Tears of the Kingdom
was nominated for several awards at the Golden Joystick Awards, though it only won Nintendo Game of the Year.
[52]
Alongside
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
,
Tears of the Kingdom
was one of two Nintendo games nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards.
[53]
Prior to the release of
Tears of the Kingdom
, Snapchat released a special
Adventure Awaits
filter in collaboration with Nintendo, featuring a countdown clock to May 12, 2023.
[68]
↑
게임물등급분류 결정서
(
web archive
), Game Rating and Administration Committee, published November 18, 2022, retrieved January 19, 2023.
↑
People have been falling ill after coming in contact with the gloom drifting through these caverns.
—
Zelda
(
Tears of the Kingdom
)
↑
"
The Upheaval has come to Hyrule
Embark on a perilous quest to find the missing princess and unravel the truth behind a cataclysmic event that has sent the kingdom into turmoil."
—
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
, Nintendo UK, retrieved April 20, 2023.
↑
"
The sequel to The Legend of #Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now in development for #NintendoSwitch!
" —
@NintendoAmerica
on Twitter, June 11, 2019 (
Archive
)
↑
11.0
11.1
"
This Link #amiibo from The Legend of #Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will launch alongside the game on May 12th.
" —
@NintendoAmerica
on Twitter, February 8, 2023 (
Archive
)
↑
"
The Zelda and Ganondorf amiibo figures from The Legend of #Zelda: #TearsOfTheKingdom will be releasing individually on Nov. 3! #NintendoDirect
" —
@NintendoAmerica
on Twitter, September 14, 2023 (
Archive
)
↑
"
『ゼルダの伝説 ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム』に登場する「ゼルダ」「ガノンドロフ」のamiiboは11月3日（金）に発売決定。#ゼルダの伝説 #TearsOfTheKingdom
" —
@ZeldaOfficialJP
on Twitter, September 14, 2023
↑
"
These #amiibo figures of Zelda and Ganondorf from The Legend of #Zelda: #TearsOfTheKingdom will release 03/11. #NintendoDirect
" —
@NintendoEurope
on Twitter, September 14, 2023
↑
"Nintendo has yet to officially announce any additional content for Tears of the Kingdom, but given the company’s history with its first-party games, it certainly makes sense that the upcoming Zelda game will include some sort of DLC.
On the Tears of the Kingdom official site, which features details about the upcoming game, a curious line of text at the bottom seems to confirm DLC."
— Joseph Yaden,
Nintendo May Have Just Revealed Tears of the Kingdom DLC
(
web archive
), Inverse, published February 27, 2023, retrieved March 2, 2023.
↑
"You’ve followed Nintendo long enough to know that as we progress on any title, and we deem it’s the right moment, we will share with the community where we are in the development. At this point, though, I have nothing more that I can share on those titles."
— Russ Frushtik,
Doug Bowser on Nintendo’s obsession with March 31, plus Joy-Con drift and the Switch Pro rumors
, Polygon, published Dec 16, 2020, retrieved Aug 7, 2021.
↑
"
The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom!
" —
@NintendoAmerica
on Twitter, September 13, 2022 (
Archive
)
↑
"
As a mark of respect during this period of national mourning, we will not livestream tomorrow’s Nintendo Direct. It will be published as a video-on-demand on our YouTube channel at 16:00 (UK time) tomorrow.
" —
@NintendoUK
on Twitter, September 12, 2022 (
Archive
)
↑
"
The Legend of #Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
" —
@NintendoUK
on Twitter, October 3, 2022 (
Archive
)
↑
"Nintendo confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the highly anticipated sequel to Breath of the Wild, will cost $69.99, instead of the standard $59.99 price for first-party Nintendo games."
— Ana Diaz,
Nintendo confirms Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will cost $69.99
(
web archive
), Polygon, published February 8, 2023, retrieved February 9, 2023.
↑
"
Join The Legend of #Zelda series producer, Eiji Aonuma, for roughly 10 minutes of gameplay from The Legend of Zelda: #TearsOfTheKingdom on 3/28 at 7:00 a.m. PT on our YouTube channel.
" —
@NintendoAmerica
on Twitter, March 27, 2023 (
Archive
)
↑
"
In addition to the standard version, a collector's edition of The Legend of #Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will launch on 5/12.
" —
@NintendoAmerica
on Twitter, February 8, 2023 (
Archive
)
↑
"
Pre-order The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at GameStop and receive an EXCLUSIVE wooden plaque with purchase!
" —
@GameStop
on Twitter, February 14, 2023 (
Archive
)
↑
"
Take to the skies in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom! Pre-order your copy and receive a GameStop exclusive pin set when you pick up your purchase!
" —
@GameStopCanada
on Twitter, February 28, 2023
↑
"
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Bundles available. All include Collector's Coin and Luggage Tag."
—
Home
, My Nintendo Store, retrieved April 11, 2023.
↑
"The Japan Game Awards 2017 (organized by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association CESA; Chairman: Hideki Okamura) has announced the award winners for the "Games of the Year Division". "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" of Nintendo Co., Ltd. received the most prestigious Grand Award. Nintendo has won the Grand Award for the second consecutive years."
—
The Grand Award goes to "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"
, Japan Game Awards (PDF), published September 21, 2017, retrieved September 21, 2022.
↑
"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was named on screen during the latest Nintendo Direct - but many fans still had questions. Namely, was that "tears" as in crying? Or "tears" as in something being torn up?"
— Tom Phillips,
Here's how you pronounce Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo says
, Eurogamer.net, published September 16, 2022, retrieved September 21, 2022.
↑
"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom 20.80 million pcs."
— Nintendo,
Top Selling Title Sales Units
(
web archive
), Nintendo Investor Relations Information, published August 2, 2024, retrieved August 3, 2024.
↑
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Wikipedia
↑
"
We are honored that The Legend of #Zelda: #TearsOfTheKingdom and #SuperMarioBrosWonder have both received Game of the Year nominations at #TheGameAwards!
↑
"IGN Best Game 2023 Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom"
— Matt Kim,
The Best Game of 2023
, IGN, published December 15, 2023, retrieved December 26, 2023.
↑
"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom surprised us, made us feel smart and creative, and inspired thousands to become virtual engineers with incredible creations of their own. For all those reasons, it earns Game Informer’s 2023 game of the year."
— Game Informer Editorial,
Game Informer's Top 10 Games Of 2023
, Game Informer, published December 19, 2023, retrieved December 26, 2023.
↑
EDGE
no. 393, Future Publishing, December 2023, pg.
[
which page?
]
↑
"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was particularly noted as the winner of the show’s most prestigious Grand Award."
— Kite Stenbuck,
LOZ: Tears of the Kingdom Won Japan Game Awards 2024
, Siliconera, published September 26, 2024, retrieved September 27, 2024.
