The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Open-world action-adventure sequel to Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD + Nintendo, May 12, 2023, Switch) — set in Hyrule with sky islands + underground Depths. Introduces Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend, Recall abilities. 20M+ units in first 6 weeks; multiple GOTY awards 2023.
What is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the open-world action-adventure sequel to Breath of the Wild — developed by Nintendo EPD + published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch (May 12, 2023). Set in a transformed Hyrule with new sky islands + underground Depths layers. Introduces four Zonai-tech abilities: Ultrahand (attach + build vehicles/weapons from any object), Fuse (combine weapons + items), Ascend (swim upward through ceilings), Recall (rewind object trajectory). Sold 10M units in first 3 days + 20M+ in first 6 weeks — one of Nintendo's fastest launches ever. Won multiple 2023 Game of the Year awards including The Game Awards, D.I.C.E., BAFTA. Story: Link + Zelda investigate ancient Zonai ruins; Zelda vanishes to distant past; Ganondorf reawakens. Score by Manaka Kataoka. 60+ hour main quest; 150+ hour completionist.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–1
Duration
~60 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇯🇵 Japan
Estimated origin
Released May 12, 2023 on Nintendo Switch
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Rescue Zelda, defeat Ganondorf, and explore all sky islands + Depths + surface Hyrule.
Match structure
Single-player open-world with 4 main dungeon quests + Zonai shrines + tears memories + optional side content.
Rules
Basic rules
4 Zonai abilities
Ultrahand (build), Fuse (combine), Ascend (upward swim), Recall (rewind).
3 world layers
Surface Hyrule + sky islands + underground Depths — traverse via towers + falls + Ascend.
Build vehicles/weapons freely
Ultrahand allows creative construction from Zonai devices + world objects.
Advanced rules
Weapon durability + Fuse
Weapons break; Fuse with monster horns/rocks/wood to extend durability + change move.
Autobuild memory 21 slots
Save 21 vehicle blueprints via Autobuild; costs Zonaite to instant-build.
Scoring
Story progression + shrines cleared + Korok seed collection + Depths mapped.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Story completion + all shrines | Golden save file |
Win condition · Complete story + defeat Ganondorf; 100% = all 152 shrines + 1000 Korok seeds + all Depths lightroots.
Equipment
Nintendo Switch (OLED/regular/Lite)
Sole platform — 30 FPS docked/handheld with some drops in dense build scenarios.
Amiibo (optional)
Zelda-series amiibo unlock in-game cosmetics + material rewards.
Pro Controller (recommended)
Preferred over Joy-Con for extended play + build precision.
Positions & roles
Player (Link)
×1Hero controlling Link + Zelda memories.
Officiating
Single-player only; no PvP.
- Speedrun.com moderators for community leaderboards
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Weapon break
Weapon must be Fused or replaced — no permanent loss.
Depths gloom
Reduces max HP until healed at Lightroot or Sun Fruit.
Death (Game Over)
Reload last save/autosave; no permanent death.
Strategies
Ultrahand + Autobuild vehicle library
Save reusable vehicle blueprints (glider, tank, hover-bike) via Autobuild for repeat use.
Fuse for elemental weapons
Fuse lynel horns or elemental gems for high-damage or effect-inducing weapons.
Depths lightroot mapping
Depths mirror surface — activating lightroot reveals matching surface region skyview.
Terminology
- Ultrahand
- Ability to attach objects together
- Fuse
- Combine weapon + item for buffed effect
- Ascend
- Swim upward through ceiling
- Recall
- Rewind object trajectory
- Zonai
- Ancient tech civilisation in TotK
Major competitions
Speedrun.com TotK leaderboards
ongoing · global (community) · since 2023
The Game Awards 2023 GOTY winner
annual · global · since 2014
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Founded 1889 · Kyoto, Japan
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Community speedrunners — sub-1:20 Any% Amiibo runs; sub-45m Any% No Amiibo
Records
Fastest-launching Nintendo IP
Tears of the Kingdom — 10M units in first 3 days; 20M+ in 6 weeks (2023)
2023 Game of the Year
Nintendo EPD — The Game Awards, D.I.C.E., BAFTA GOTY awards (2023)
Speedrun world records
various speedrunners — Sub-45min Any% No Amiibo; sub-1:20 Any% Amiibo (2024)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Great Sky Island tutorial
Learn 4 Zonai abilities + basic combat + gliding.
intermediate
- 1
Main dungeons + Depths
4 regional dungeons + Depths mapping + Zonai shrine grinding.
advanced
- 1
Speedrun + 100% completion
Glitchless speedruns; all 152 shrines + 1000 Koroks + all Depths lightroots.
Frequently asked
Is Tears of the Kingdom a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild?+
Yes — same Hyrule world with expanded layers (sky islands + Depths) and new Zonai abilities. Prior BotW knowledge helpful but not required.
Is it available outside Switch?+
No — Nintendo Switch exclusive (all models). No PC or other console release announced.