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- The next Legend of Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom, will release on May 12.
- You can preorder Tears of the Kingdom for $70 from Best Buy, GameStop, and Nintendo’s eShop.
- Nintendo is also releasing a $130 Collector’s Edition with an art book, exclusive pins, and more.
It’s been six years since the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and four years since Nintendo announced the sequel, Tears of the Kingdom. But its release date — May 12, 2023 — is almost upon us, and it’s time for gamers to start getting ready.
During a Nintendo Direct event on February 8, Nintendo revealed a new trailer and officially launched preorders for Tears of the Kingdom. They also announced an exclusive Collector’s Edition of the game, and a new Amiibo figure based on Link’s new design.
Here’s everything to know about 2023’s most anticipated game.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: Price and how to preorder
The latest Zelda game is titled The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and it’s set for release on May 12. It’ll release exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, and can be played on all three versions of the console.
However, Tears of the Kingdom is going to cost $69.99 at release — that’s $10 more than most new Switch games, and might signal a new pricing strategy for major Nintendo games.
The game is available to preorder right now from the Nintendo eShop and official website, as well as through stores like Best Buy and GameStop.
Preordering Tears of the Kingdom from Best Buy or GameStop will get you the physical version of the game, which you can pick up on release day or have delivered to you. Buying it from the eShop will get you the digital version of the game, which you can “pre-load” to launch immediately on release day without having to wait for it to download.
What is the Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Edition?
Although it’s not available to preorder yet, Nintendo is also releasing a Collector’s Edition of Tears of the Kingdom that costs more, but includes a bunch of extra swag.
For $129.99, the Collector’s Edition will get you:
- A physical copy of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- An official Tears of the Kingdom artbook
- A Steelbook case
- A poster featuring an expanded version of the game’s cover art
- Four exclusive pins
Nintendo hasn’t revealed if this edition will be available to preorder, but its tweet and a Best Buy product listing imply it’ll go on sale the exact same day as the actual game: May 12, 2023.
—Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 8, 2023
They’ve also revealed a new Amiibo figure based on Link’s in-game design, which you’ll be able to scan while playing to summon special items.
Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel to 2017’s Breath of the Wild
Games in the Legend of Zelda series are all connected by one long and confusing timeline. Despite this, it’s rare for a Zelda game to ever receive a direct sequel that features the same characters in the same time period.
This is a big reason why fans are so hyped for Tears of the Kingdom: It’s a direct sequel to 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Breath of the Wild received universal acclaim upon release, and is considered one of the best Zelda games — if not one of the best video games — of all time. Even six years after its release, it still routinely makes the list of the Switch’s bestselling games each month.
Nintendo
All this is to say that Tears of the Kingdom has a lot of weight on its shoulders. The few trailers we’ve seen of the new game make it look like it’ll keep Breath of the Wild’s art style, along with sharing some enemies and basic gameplay mechanics. But when it comes to the story, we don’t have much to go on.
However the plot pans out, we’re sure that Nintendo will reveal more in the coming months.
