The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

 is the twentieth main installment in. The direct sequel to 2017's, the game was released worldwide on May 12, 2023 on the Nintendo Switch.

Story
Some time after the events of, TotK: started to appear in the caverns beneath TotK:. TotK: and TotK: entered these caverns, which were a well-guarded secret of the royal family. In the caverns, they found statues of TotK: and paintings of the invasion of the Demon King in the time of the TotK:. Soon after, they come across the corpse of TotK:, who promptly reawakens and uses TotK: to corrupt the TotK: and TotK:'s left arm. TotK: slips into a deep hole and TotK: lunges to catch her, but his corrupted arm causes him to miss. TotK: vanishes in a bright light instead of falling any farther, while TotK: is caught by a disembodied arm.

When TotK: wakes up, he hears a mysterious voice say that he was saved, but that his right arm had to be replaced. 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 TotK:, 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 ruins 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.

Gameplay
features similar gameplay to, with several changes and new elements, such as the TotK: ability, and the expansion of TotK: to include not only the TotK:, but also the TotK: and the TotK:. The chaos throughout TotK: is known as the TotK:.

Development
Development of the twentieth game in began in 2017 after the production for  concluded. During the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct, it was announced that it would be a sequel to. The idea of creating a direct sequel came from the fact that Eiji Aonuma, producer of, wanted to revisit the same TotK: while incorporating a new story and gameplay mechanics. Initially, new ideas were thought of for DLC but evolved into a new game when too many were gathered.

amiibo Support
is compatible with various amiibo which allow TotK: to receive additional fabric for his TotK: that changes its appearance. A series TotK: amiibo was announced on February 8, 2023 that released alongside the game on May 12, 2023. On June 21, 2023, Series: figures of TotK: and TotK: were announced, to be released on November 3, 2023.

Downloadable Content
While no DLC for was announced during the trailers, the footer of the official  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." 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. On September 6, 2023, Hidemaro Fujibayashi revealed that Nintendo has no plans to release DLC for.

Updates
Multiple free patches for have been released since its launch to fix bugs.

Trailers and Marketing
The announcement trailer shows TotK: and TotK: exploring an unknown subterranean TotK:. They arrive in a cavern where TotK:'s body is held in suspended animation, gripped by a pale, ghostly hand. TotK: stirs amidst an earthquake, and the trailer then cuts to a view of TotK: from the TotK:. As the ground shakes, the TotK: is seen rising into the air. Text is then displayed announcing the development of a sequel to.

During the announcement of 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.

The second trailer and first gameplay showcase aired on June 15th, 2021, during the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct. In the second trailer during E3 2021, gameplay footage showed TotK: skydiving and TotK: among landmasses floating in the sky. TotK: is seen battling various enemies, such as a TotK: carrying a TotK:. TotK: also wields new abilities which seemingly come from his altered right arm. The first is TotK:, an ability that can move an TotK: backward on the path it came from. The second is TotK:, an ability that phases TotK: through a solid structure from underneath. The trailer concludes with scenes of TotK: being violently lifted from the ground by a huge mass of TotK:. 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 TotK:'s new outfit and a heavily damaged TotK:.

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. In the trailer, a large portrait similar to the BotW: was shown depicting NaN Soldiers fighting with NaN Moblins and NaN Bokoblins, an unknown figure surrounded by seven symbols, and a few people resembling TotK: and the corpse from the announcement trailer. Afterward, more gameplay footage shows TotK: pushing open a large door and jumping into a free fall. Next, TotK: jumps onto a large boulder traveling into the air, showing a giant storm forming nearby. Next, TotK: climbs up the root of a TotK: sticking out of a floating rock. Finally, TotK: falls out of the sky above TotK: 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. Nintendo UK later acknowledged the announcement in a Twitter post on October 3rd.

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. The game was also opened for pre-orders on the Nintendo eShop which revealed the game to retail for $70 USD. A Collector's Edition was also announced to be released on the same day. Finally, an amiibo of TotK: from the game was announced to also release on the same day.

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. It premiered on March 28, 2023.

The fifth and final pre-launch trailer for premiered on YouTube on April 13, 2023.

Special Editions



 * 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.

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.
 * 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 received various products depending on their region. Consumers in the United States received a Wooden Plaque with artwork from the game. Consumers in Canada received a Pin Set of TotK: and TotK: based on the promotional artwork of the game. Consumers in Australia received a Luggage Tag with the game's logo printed in black. 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. Consumers in Canada received a luggage tag with the game's logo printed in black. Consumers in America first received a gold wall scroll then a black one after the gold color sold out.

Consumers in the UK who pre-ordered, 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.

In Japan, Amazon offered a spoon or fork with.

In America, Target is offering an "Adventure Hip Pack" with in-store purchases of.

In America, Best Buy offered a framed artwork with pre-orders of.

Audience Reception
The announcement of under the name "Sequel to " was celebrated by fans across the world as  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. Many fans speculated about whether TotK: would be a playable character and/or if multiplayer would be available, but when asked, Aonuma declined to answer.

When the title of 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. Nintendo cleared up the confusion a few days later and confirmed that the name refers to tears as in crying.

Sales
sold over 10 million copies on its first three days, becoming the fastest selling game in the series. With over 4 million copies sold in America, it is also the fastest selling Nintendo Switch and Nintendo game overall in that territory. As of June 2023, it is the second best-selling game of the year. has sold a total of 19.50 million copies as of September 30, 2023.

Reviews
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. Before its release, it became the highest rated game of all time on review aggregator OpenCritic with an original score of 97.223.

Awards
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 that was no longer present.

After being released in 2023, was nominated for several awards at the Golden Joystick Awards, though it only won Nintendo Game of the Year. Alongside , was one of two Nintendo games nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards.

won Game of the Year at IGN, Game Informer, and EDGE.

Characters

 * TotK Unnamed Symbol 2.png See more...

Enemies

 * TotK Unnamed Symbol 3.png See more...

Items

 * TotK Unnamed Symbol 2.png See more...

Locations

 * TotK Unnamed Symbol 3.png See more...

Trivia

 * Prior to the release of, Snapchat released a special Adventure Awaits filter in collaboration with Nintendo, featuring a countdown clock to May 12, 2023.