Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom isn't getting DLC after all

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom sages will
(Image credit: Nintendo)

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is apparently not getting DLC after all.

That's according to a new interview with Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma in the latest issue of Famitsu (as translated by Automaton Media). When asked if there was anything new for Tears of the Kingdom being planned, be it DLC or a sequel, Aonuma said there wasn't anything new in the works for the 2023 game.

This is basically because Nintendo's development team feels it's exhausted all possibilities pertaining to gameplay in Tears of the Kingdom, Aonuma said. Tears of the Kingdom only came about because Nintendo's developers wanted to create new experiences in Hyrule, but now they're apparently all out of ideas.

After two stellar games, who can blame them? Breath of the Wild had a whole host of interconnecting systems in 2017, giving Link experimental new runic powers, and then Tears of the Kingdom did away with all these established abilities earlier this year and gave Link a host of new powers, including Ultrahand and Fuse.

This might come as a surprise to some, given Tears of the Kingdom's own website hinted at DLC earlier this year in February. A disclaimer on the website said the base game would be required to use DLC, which fans took as a strong hint that post-launch content was in the pipeline. That apparently was never the case.

It's also a surprise given Breath of the Wild's post-launch offerings. The original game received two expansions after launch, the first of which offered new trials surrounding the Master Sword, while the second was a whole new story expansion, seeing Link delving into new dungeons to uncover yet more forgotten memories.

At least if Tears of the Kingdom isn't getting DLC, there's still hundreds of hours of fun to be had, and secrets to discover, in Hyrule. Aonuma's new comments could be taken to mean there also won't be a direct sequel to Tears of the Kingdom. After two games and over a decade's development, Zelda's team could want to try something new.

Check out our Zelda Tears of the Kingdom weapons guide if you're looking to get your hands on the best gear in Hyrule.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.