It's Time To Talk About That Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Trailer
September 13's Nintendo Direct livestream might have been one for the books. The show was announced at nearly the last possible minute, with Nintendo revealing the time slot for the livestream on the morning of September 12, sending fans scrambling as they tried to guess what would be revealed. A bit of controversy arose when it was revealed that Nintendo UK would not be airing the Direct livestream at the same time as the rest of the world, out of respect for the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. However, fans in the UK were still able to tune into the livestream through alternate channels, including Nintendo of America's YouTube page. For the fans who were able to tune in, it was a banner day, because Nintendo has finally revealed a brand new trailer for the long-awaited sequel to "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild."
The trailer followed a slew of other exciting announcements, including the news that the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack service will be adding huge classics such as "GoldenEye 007" and the first three "Mario Party" games to its lineup. It was also revealed that "Pikmin 4" is deep in production and will be released in 2023. However, all of that paled in comparison to the title reveal for the next installment in the "Zelda" franchise, which Nintendo saved for the very end of the presentation. The new game will be called "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," and fans are flipping out over the latest trailer. Although gamers are definitely excited for the new game, some controversy has arisen due to Nintendo's title reveal.
The new Zelda trailer blows fans away
In the lead-up to the Nintendo Direct, some fans were beginning to wonder if there was any use in hoping for new "Zelda" sequel news. The day before the event, esports caster @ArbiterSky quipped on Twitter that they'd give a dollar to everyone who liked their tweet if there ended up not being any "Zelda" reveals during the stream. And as the Direct went on, fans began to lose hope. Some began to think that the "Zelda" franchise would be completely absent from the livestream, while others held out hope that Nintendo would announce a separate Direct focused solely on the beloved RPG franchise. Either way, it wasn't looking good for a bit, despite the excitement surrounding the stream's other announcements.
And then the moment arrived. As the capper for the 40-minute presentation, Nintendo surprised fans with an ominous trailer for what we now know to be called 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom." The chat section of the livestream lit up as fans cheered for the new clips. Moody footage of ancient hieroglyphs appearing to depict the series' characters and an imposing army quickly gave way to shots of Link pushing open massive doors and leaping headfirst into the sky. A few exciting action shots are all that fans got at this time, though, because the trailer quickly faded away to the title reveal.
The trailer was definitely on the short and sweet side, but it was enough to get fans extremely excited about the future of "Zelda." However, it also spurred some uncomfortable conversations regarding the game's name and Nintendo UK's refusal to air the livestream in its original intended slot.
Tears of the Kingdom sparks an unexpected controversy
On a positive note, fans were thrilled to finally see more of the new game. While some fans had hoped for a longer trailer, the general consensus seems to be that people are impressed by the new footage and are beyond ready for more "Zelda." Some gamers have already started making memes about "Tears of the Kingdom" replacing "Breath of the Wild" as their new obsession. Others have expressed their excitement for the game, but have joked about the fact that so many other big Nintendo releases seem to involve cozy farming, so maybe "Zelda" will follow suit.
However, many fans have pointed to a potential source of controversy related to the subtitle, "Tears of the Kingdom." As has been pointed out by a number of gamers on Twitter, the subtitle certainly brings to mind the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, which could explain why Nintendo UK chose not to air the livestream. While obviously the title of the game was decided well before this announcement livestream, it would make sense that Nintendo would worry about seeming insensitive during a time of national mourning in the United Kingdom. This led one Twitter user to imagine a scenario in which Nintendo execs scrambled to figure out what they should do with the title reveal in the days leading up to the Direct.
Regardless of the unintended controversy already attached to the new game, its safe to say that the hype for the next "Zelda" installment is at a fever pitch. It's unclear when Nintendo will reveal more footage or details concerning "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," but fans will be on high alert until then.