In 2019, Nintendo announced they had started development on a sequel to the 2017 hit The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Now, over three years later, we finally know when the next Link and Zelda’s next adventure will hit the Nintendo Switch. And not only did Nintendo reveal the game’s release date, but they also officially announced its full title as well: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
When Does The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Come Out?
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is arguably the most anticipated title still to come for the Nintendo Switch, and fans have been waiting eagerly for the game’s release date. And that wait is finally over, as Nintendo has confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will release on May 12, 2023.
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This is the longest time gap between mainline Zelda titles, as Tears of the Kingdom will release just over six years after Breath of the Wild. The next longest gap was between The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild itself, which was just over five years long. Many fans expected the time between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom to be shorter than usual, as it will be one of the few direct sequels in franchise history.
What’s It About?
We still know very little about Tears of the Kingdom other than that it will take place in the same world and timeline as Breath of the Wild. The first few trailers for the game have shown an emaciated Ganon buried below Hyrule Castle, as well as floating islands suspended above the entire kingdom. Link can also be seen using new variations on his Sheikah Slate powers from the original title.
New footage from the September 2022 Nintendo Direct revealed Link will have some form of a rideable glider in this entry, which will undoubtedly make it easier to travel between all those floating islands. This brief trailer didn’t reveal any other story details, but it did end with the reveal of both the full title and the release date.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will launch for the Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.
