In a refreshing divergence from the nickel-and-diming of content usually seen across the video game industry, The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma has confirmed that, at current, there are no plans to release any DLC for Tears of the Kingdom.
Aonuma, who has provided his talents to every Zelda game beginning with 1998’s Ocarina of Time, shared this insight into the future of the franchise’s latest while giving a Tears of the Kingdom-centric interview alongside director Hidemaro Fujibayashi to Japanese video game news outlet Famitsu.
Following a lengthy discussion on the game’s development history, Aonuma and Fujibayashi were pressed on whether or not the next Zelda project would be “a sequel, a new story [DLC], or something else?”
The first to reply, Fujibayashi opined, “I don’t know if it will be the next production or not, but I am thinking about what the ‘next fun experience’ will be.”
“What form that will take, I can only say that at this point we don’t know,” he affirmed.
Expanding upon his colleague’s explanation, Aonuma then noted, “This time we do not plan to release any additional content because we feel that we have exhausted the possibilities of creating fun in that world.”
“The reason why we decided to make this a sequel to the previous game was because we felt that there was value in experiencing a new type of play in that Hyrule setting,” detailed the veteran Nintendo producer. “Then, if those reasons are renewed, we may go back to the same world.”
Aonuma then closed out his answer by declaring, “Whether it is a sequel or a new work, I think it will be a whole new experience, and I hope you will look forward to it.”
Subsequently met with Famitsu’s observation that “players’ expectations have been raised even higher that the company will make something even more amazing” thanks to the sheer quality of Tears of the Kingdom, Aonuma jovially replied, “The rest of the development team do not consider it a hurdle, so please keep your expectations high!”
Likewise, Fujibayashi assured the outlet, “I think the staff who have been working on The Legend of Zelda series for many years always thought so, too. We are very grateful that so many customers have enjoyed playing Tears of the Kingdom for so long and so deeply, and we will do our best to make the next title even more enjoyable.”
With three massive maps to explore, a wide-variety of side quests, and a core game mechanic that begets creativity and innovation, truth be told, the two Zelda leads are right: Tears of the Kingdom doesn’t really need any expansion on its initial offering. After all, from the moment you leap from the Temple of Time, the world is yours to freely conquer.
Ultimately, kudos should be given to Aonuma and Fujibayashi, as knowing when to move on from a given project – and especially knowing when to refrain from ruining the reputation of something popular by milking it for all its worth – is an exceptionally rare trait in today’s media landscape.