Eiji Aonuma States That There Are “No Plans” For Additional Content in Tears of the Kingdom
Posted on September 06 2023 by Alexandria Weber
Tears of the Kingdom, the sequel to Breath of the Wild, has been a rousing success thus far. Developers have proved the 2017 iteration of Hyrule to be quite the lucrative one, pulling from it three expansive experiences that players have loved immensely. While no one game is without its faults, Zelda fans have been absolutely charmed by Tears of the Kingdom, by the gameplay, story, and mechanics that feel at all times familiar and new in a captivating way.
However, fans have begun to wonder if, like Breath of the Wild, there would be DLC released for Tears of the Kingdom, and what that might look like. I personally figured that a Master Mode for the game, in which enemies recharge health, would be inevitable, but now it seems even that is in question.
Japanese publication Famitsu recently interviewed Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma and Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi. While the full interview has not yet been reliably translated, IGN was able to provide a translation of the following exchange, in which Aonuma and Fujibayashi are asked about plans for their next project:
“Aonuma: There are no plans to release additional content this time, but that’s because I feel like we’ve done everything we can to create fun in that world…
“In the first place, the reason I decided to make this a sequel to the previous work was because I thought there was value in experiencing a new game in that Hyrule place [sic]… If that’s the case, if a new reason arises, we might return to the same world again. Whether it’s a sequel or a new work, I think it’s going to be a completely new game, so I hope you’re looking forward to it.”
The expectation that any DLC for Tears of the Kingdom would follow a similar time table as the DLC for Breath of the Wild (the first wave being released only three months after the game itself) has certainly been shot down. Aonuma’s and Fujibayashi’s responses point to the idea that nothing new is coming soon to the Hyrule of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, suggesting that the world we first paraglided into in 2017 has been explored to the fullest extent.
Although disappointing, it is pertinent to keep in mind that Tears of the Kingdom was developed from unused ideas for Breath of the Wild DLC. Perhaps it is time for the Zelda series to move on to pastures new. After all, the developers do their best work when it springs from the joy of ingenuity.
In fact, Fujibayashi seems to have ideas for the series’ future in mind already. When asked about the team’s next project, Fujibayashi said the following:
“Fujibayashi: I’m not sure if it will be the next game, but I have on my mind what the “next” fun experience is. We don’t know what shape it will take so it’s impossible to say right now what it will be like.”
What do you think? How do you interpret what Aonuma and Fujibayashi have to say about the future of the series? Do you think Zelda should move on from Breath of the Wild‘s Hyrule? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Famitsu (via IGN, zcomuto)
Alexandria Weber is a Senior Editor and an aspiring creative writer. Her favorite food is apple pie and she loves her cat Galadriel. Ask her for pictures!
