The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

 is the upcoming twentieth main installment in. The game is scheduled to be released on May 12, 2023 on the Nintendo Switch.

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

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: one that moves an object backward on the path it came from, and another 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:.

The delay announcement video shows TotK: standing next to a floating orb of energy and examining a heavily damaged TotK:. The floating orb has a golden glow, and the damaged TotK: has a faint blue glow.

In the third 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 tree 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.

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.

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. A portion of gameplay was shown, featuring a number of abilities and the new world 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, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and release date, May 12, 2023, were revealed. 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.

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 speculate about whether TotK: will be a playable character or if multiplayer would be added, 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.