The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Release Date, Trailer And Gameplay - What We Know So Far

Nintendo has finally revealed the name of the sequel to "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." Announced during the Sept. 13 Nintendo Direct, the sequel will be called "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom." The announcement showed off a brief bit of gameplay, along with a mysterious mural painted on a wall. Nintendo had previously refused to announce the name of the sequel, ut the wait is finally over for "Zelda" fans.

While Nintendo has not revealed too much about the story of "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," it serves as a continuation of the story established in "Breath of the Wild." The story in "Breath of the Wild" was intentionally cyclical, and the logo shown for "Tears of the Kingdom" features an Ouroboros, which is a snake or dragon eating its own tail in a circle. Here's when you can expect to get your hands on "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom."

"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" is set to release on May 12, 2023, on Nintendo Switch. Despite some experts saying that the previous "Tears of the Kingdom" footage looked too good to be running on the current Nintendo Switch, the game will be launching for the current version of the Nintendo Switch. "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" released on May 3, 2017, the same day as the Nintendo Switch launch, so it will have been slightly more than six years in between releases for the series.

As for what the name "Tears of the Kingdom" might mean, one fan on Reddit has a theory. "Could be a double meaning. Tears as in crying to symbolize the little floating island thingies that we get to explore. Tears as in rips in the earth to reveal a cavernous, labyrinthine system of caves and...dungeons(?) to explore. Oh, how I hope," mgwair11 said. Another fan said it could be like pieces of the kingdom falling from the sky. The trailer for "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" offered a few vague glimpses of what's to come. 

Along with the release date, the Nintendo Direct shared a brief trailer, revealing a little bit more of "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom." The trailer shows a mural, with the first part showing some type of dragon-like creature. The second section depicts a war between the monsters of Hyrule and its people. The third section of the mural shows the dragon creature again, with four objects floating around it. It also shows someone who appears to be Zelda floating in the air and then forming a shape with another person, who isn't shown.

The trailer transitions from there to show Link opening a massive door. He sprints forward before diving off the floating platform. There is a brief shot showing some type of tool that is causing a rock to ascend into the air. Link is also shown riding a flat, floating stone bird, before transitioning into the "Tears of the Kingdom" Ouroboros logo and revealing the release date. Here's the type of gameplay you can expect from "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom."

Nintendo has not revealed too much gameplay of "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," but has shown brief glimpses across two different trailers. The E3 2021 trailer features Link using a glider, just like in "Breath of the Wild." It also shows Link using some new tools, with a mechanical looking arm. Link is shown reversing a boulder up a hill and spraying fire from his arm as well. There is also a shot of Link flying up into a floating platform, traveling through the platform, and popping out on top.

The most recent trailer doesn't show too many new gameplay features, although it does confirm that climbing will return in "Tears of the Kingdom." Considering that Nintendo has consistently referred to this new entry in the series as a sequel to "Breath of the Wild," it seems likely that it will play similarly. Nothing has been confirmed, but expect the base combat to feel very similar, likely with some new mechanics and improvements. With the new release date of May 12, 2023, Nintendo will likely share more details soon.