Yes, Weapons Will Break in 'Tears of the Kingdom' – Here’s What You Need to Know

Breath of the Wild received universal praise when it launched, though its durability system was one of a few sticking points for a large portion of players. This system allowed weapons to break after a certain amount of usage – forcing you to venture out and find new gear to add to your arsenal.

But will weapons break in Tears of the Kingdom, or has Nintendo reworked the system for this long-awaited sequel? Here’s a look at everything we know about the divisive feature.

From what we’ve seen so far, it appears that weapons will break in Tears of the Kingdom. This means you’ll never be able to become too comfortable using a single item, as it’ll splinter into pieces after connecting with enemies a few too many times.

Of course, there will likely be a handful of permanent weapons in Tears of the Kingdom that don’t follow these durability rules. In Breath of the Wild, for example, the Master Sword couldn’t break – which made it a permanent fixture in your arsenal once you managed to find it.

Nintendo hasn’t announced every single weapon in the Tears of the Kingdom, so it’s unclear how many permanent weapons you’ll be able to secure as you roam the ruined fields of Hyrule. There’s also no news on whether defensive items like shields or ranged weapons like bows will follow these durability rules.

Unlike Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom is giving players a way to improve weapon durability and prolong their lifespan. This is done by using the Fuse skill to merge two unique items into a new one.

A few examples have been shown off ahead of the game’s release, including one that had Link Fusing a stick and a rock together to forge a new weapon with increased durability. Fusing a weapon that’s about to break could be a great way to extend its usage before needing to replace it.

We haven’t seen a way to repair durability without using the Fuse technique, and it’s very likely a true repair feature won’t be available in Tears of the Kingdom. A big part of the game is exploration – and that extends to exploring its vast arsenal of available weapons.

Nintendo is likely implementing this durability system as a way to break players out of their comfort zone and get them to test out new weapons and use the Fuse techniques in creative ways.

If you were able to use a single powerful item throughout the entire game, then there would be no reason to check out all the other gear available in Tears of the Kingdom.

Expect to learn more in the coming weeks, as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches on May 12.