Yes, weapons will break in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Nintendo offered fans a lengthy new look at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Tuesday, showing off new facets of Link’s sky-high adventures in Hyrule. That gameplay footage also confirmed that the weapon durability system from Breath of the Wild will return in Tears of the Kingdom. But a new gameplay feature known as Fuse may make weapon breaking far less of a concern in Tears of the Kingdom.

In a new 10-minute gameplay video of Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma showed Link battling a new enemy called a Construct. Link struck it with a common tree branch, which went from “badly damaged” to broken in just a few hits. But Aonuma showed how Fuse — a mechanic that will let Link weld items, objects, and weapons together — will boost a weapon’s durability. Fusing a tree branch and boulder together, Link crafted a makeshift hammer, one with much hardier durability than a simple stick. It’s an intriguing change, one that will make players totally rethink their arsenal in Tears of the Kingdom.

Breath of the Wild’s breakable weapons were a divisive gameplay decision. While the choice to have weapons degrade and shatter kept players engaged, on their toes, and always experimenting with new combat methods, it was also a source of frustration — especially when players found a rare, reliable weapon that they loved.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released on Nintendo Switch on May 12.