From the same team that reimagined an open world in 2017 comes a sequel born not of obligation but of creative overflow — The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrives May 12, 2023, exclusively on Nintendo Switch, carrying with it new tools for building, ascending, and rewinding, as well as a darker emotional register that suggests Hyrule has grown more complicated since we last left it. At $70, it marks a quiet threshold in gaming economics, even as its ambitions reach skyward — literally, into floating islands and underground depths that expand a world already considered vast. The story
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches May 12 with new abilities, Sky Islands
A sequel was the only way to realize what they'd imagined.
Mark
Why did Nintendo decide to make a full sequel instead of just releasing DLC for Breath of the Wild?
Mimi
The development team had too many ideas. They wanted to implement big structural changes to how the game works—new abilities, new world areas, new mechanics—and DLC couldn't accommodate that scope. A sequel was the only way to realize what they'd imagined.
Mark
The trailers show Zelda with short hair and Link and Zelda together. Are we actually getting to play as Zelda?
Mimi
That's the theory fans have been running with, and it makes sense from an animation standpoint—shorter hair clips less into objects. But Nintendo hasn't confirmed it. The footage is suggestive, not definitive.
Mark
What's this about the game being darker like Majora's Mask?
Mimi
Aonuma said the tone would be similar, but it's not a prequel or sequel to that game. It's its own thing. The E10+ rating suggests it won't be graphically darker—no blood, no gore—but the story and atmosphere might carry more weight and dread.
Mark
Can you actually build any vehicle you want with Ultrahand?
Mimi
Essentially, yes. You attach objects together however you see fit. Logs and fans make a raft. You can apparently build mobile siege weapons. The game doesn't hand you vehicles; you construct them from the environment.
Mark
How do you reach the Sky Islands?
Mimi
Multiple ways. Recall lets you rewind time on falling objects and ride them up. Ascend lets you travel straight through ceilings. There are probably other methods we haven't seen yet.
Mark
Is this game going to feel like a completely different experience from Breath of the Wild?
Mimi
It's a continuation of that world, so the foundation is familiar. But the new abilities—Fuse, Ultrahand, Recall, Ascend—fundamentally change how you solve problems. It should feel fresh while still being recognizably Zelda.
El Pulso
- After years of silence and carefully rationed trailers, Nintendo has confirmed a May 12, 2023 launch date, and the anticipation has reached a fever pitch among fans who have been theorizing since 2019.
- Four new abilities — Fuse, Ultrahand, Recall, and Ascend — don't just add options; they rewrite the rules of how players can move through and reshape the world around them.
- The $70 price tag breaks new ground for Nintendo, signaling a broader industry shift toward higher launch prices for flagship titles.
- Darker tone, a falling Zelda, Ganondorf's voice heard for the first time, and a mysterious shorter-haired princess have sent fan communities into overdrive trying to decode what the story actually holds.
- Development was confirmed complete in late March 2023, meaning the trailers reflect the finished game — the speculation ends and the experience begins on May 12.
From the same team that reimagined an open world in 2017 comes a sequel born not of obligation but of creative overflow — The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrives May 12, 2023, exclusively on Nintendo Switch, carrying with it new tools for building, ascending, and rewinding, as well as a darker emotional register that suggests Hyrule has grown more complicated since we last left it. At $70, it marks a quiet threshold in gaming economics, even as its ambitions reach skyward — literally, into floating islands and underground depths that expand a world already considered vast. The story remains deliberately veiled, but the shape of it — a hero searching, a kingdom threatened, a voice warning of last defenses — is as old as myth itself.
Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom wasn't originally planned — it grew out of ideas too ambitious to fold back into Breath of the Wild. The development team accumulated so much creative momentum that a full sequel became the only honest answer. It arrives May 12, 2023, exclusively on Nintendo Switch, at a $70 standard price that marks a first for Nintendo. A $130 Collector's Edition and a themed Switch OLED console round out the launch window offerings.
What separates this entry from its predecessor is a set of four new abilities that reshape the logic of play. Fuse lets Link combine objects into improvised tools — branches become hammers, arrows become homing projectiles. Ultrahand allows the construction of vehicles from raw materials, since no ready-made transport exists in the world. Recall rewinds time on falling objects, letting Link ride them skyward. Ascend sends him straight through ceilings and mountains without draining stamina. Together, these mechanics suggest a game built around improvisation rather than prescribed solutions.
The world has grown too. Hyrule returns, but now floats above itself in Sky Islands and burrows below in underground regions — new territory that avoids simply recycling the original map. Director Eiji Aonuma confirmed the game continues directly from Breath of the Wild, with a darker tone drawing inspiration from Majora's Mask, though no story threads connect the two. Ganondorf appears as the central antagonist, his voice heard for the first time in a Nintendo Direct. Zelda is shown falling, then missing — her final plea is for Link to find her.
Friendly companions appear in combat footage, though whether players can summon allies freely remains unconfirmed. Multiplayer co-op has been rumored but not announced. With development wrapped as of late March 2023, what the trailers have shown is the finished product — and after years of careful silence, the wait is nearly over.
Nintendo's next major release is nearly here. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrives on May 12, 2023, exclusively on Nintendo Switch, and what we know about it has been assembled from years of trailers, developer interviews, and careful observation of brief gameplay glimpses. The game represents something the studio didn't initially plan to make—it grew out of the development team's ambitions for Breath of the Wild, which released in 2017. The team had accumulated so many ideas for how to expand and reimagine that world that a sequel became the only viable path forward.
The game will cost $70 for the standard edition, marking the first Nintendo game to launch at that price point. A Collector's Edition is available for $130, bundling in a steelbook case, art book, pins, and a poster. A special Switch OLED console themed to the game will release on April 28, a couple of weeks before the game itself. The game carries an E10+ rating from the ESRB, the same as Breath of the Wild, despite widespread fan speculation that it would be darker and more mature. The rating reflects fantasy violence and mild suggestive themes—not the bloodier content some had theorized.
What makes Tears of the Kingdom distinct from its predecessor is a suite of new abilities that fundamentally change how players interact with the world. The Fuse ability lets Link combine two objects into a single tool: a branch and a boulder become a hammer, a stick and a pitchfork create a long-range spear, arrows can be fused with ice to freeze enemies or with eyeballs to home in on targets. The possibilities appear nearly limitless, and enemies can wield fused weapons too. The Ultrahand ability allows Link to attach objects to one another, enabling the construction of vehicles and contraptions from scratch—rafts made of logs and fans, wheeled transports, even what appear to be mobile siege weapons. No vehicles exist in the game world ready-made; players must build them. The Recall ability rewinds time on falling objects, letting Link ride them upward to reach the Sky Islands that float above Hyrule. The Ascend ability lets Link travel straight up through a ceiling to the floor above, even ascending through entire mountains without consuming stamina.
The world itself has expanded. The familiar landscape of Hyrule returns, but now dotted with floating islands in the sky that players can explore. Underground locations also feature prominently, giving the developers new spaces to fill without simply rehashing the original map. Director Eiji Aonuma confirmed the game is a continuation of Breath of the Wild, not a prequel or alternate timeline, though the exact relationship between the two games remains unclear. The tone will be darker, Aonuma said, drawing inspiration from Majora's Mask—widely considered the most unsettling entry in the Zelda series—though it shares no story elements with that Nintendo 64 classic.
Trailers have hinted at the narrative shape. In one cinematic sequence, Link fails to save Zelda from falling into a massive pit. A voice warns that the land depends on Link as its final defense. Zelda's final plea is for Link to find her. The reveal trailer showed both characters exploring an underground chamber, with Zelda sporting a notably shorter hairstyle, which sparked fan theories that she might be playable. Ganondorf appears to be the primary antagonist, shown facing away from the camera in later footage, and we hear his voice for the first time in a Nintendo Direct presentation. A new enemy type called a Construct has been glimpsed, wielding branches and dropping items called Zoni Charges.
Link will have friendly companions joining him in combat, though it remains unclear whether these are scripted moments or if players can bring allies along at will. Multiplayer co-op has been rumored based on footage of Link and Zelda together, but Nintendo has not confirmed this feature. The game's development is complete as of late March 2023, meaning what players see in trailers is the final product. After years of speculation, theories, and waiting, the adventure in Hyrule is finally within reach.
Citas Notables
The team had accumulated so many ideas for expansion that a sequel became the only viable path forward.— Nintendo development approach, as explained by director Eiji Aonuma
The tone will be darker, drawing inspiration from Majora's Mask, though it shares no story elements with that game.— Director Eiji Aonuma
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