Eiji Aonuma on Zelda TotK: "We've no plans to release additional content, we feel that we've done all we can to create games in that world"

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Interview via Famitsu, and translated through DeepL.
--I see. Now I would like to ask you about the next production, which I am anxious to hear about....... Is it a sequel, a new setting, or something else?

Fujibayashi: 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.

Aonuma: There are no plans to release additional content this time, but that's because I feel like I've done everything I can to create games in that world. In the first place, the reason why we chose this time as a sequel to the previous game is because we thought there would be value in experiencing a new kind of play in that place in Hyrule. Then, if such a reason is newly born, it may return to the same world again. Whether it's a sequel or a new work, I think it will be a completely new way to play, so I'd be happy if you could look forward to it.

--I think that the hurdle that was raised with "Breath of the Wild" has now been surpassed again with "Tears of the Kingdom," and players' expectations have been raised even higher that the company will make something even more amazing, but……

Aonuma: Fujibayashi and the rest of the development team do not consider this a hurdle, so please keep your expectations high!

 
I can enjoy good expansion like in Xenoblade, Monster Hunter and FROM games but I also highly respect devs that don't feel need to put DLC if they don't want to…..which has become very rare these days.
 
"We kicked Game Freak out, please look forward to the next Pokemon"?

Blank Face What GIF by Bross Bagels
 
too busy porting to the switch 2
Nah, unless it's 4K TP and WW versions. Switch 2 is gonna be backwards compatible, they've been saying so since NX reveal in investors meeting by Iwata I think it was in 2014.

I think they're just being honest, Nintendo don't need excuses for this, they're probably focusing on their next mainline game or some smaller game since they'll need some Zelda within the next couple of years.
 
Aonuma: There are no plans to release additional content this time, but that's because I feel like I've done everything I can to create games in that world.
I bet that line will confuse a lot of game dev CEOs. Imagine whoever the CEO of Blizzard is right now reading that. I bet he'd be like blank staring for a whole week trying (and failing) to understand that.
 
Good news. I wish more developers thought in that way instead of releasing cash grab DLCs made by the B team of the studio.
 

"we've done all we can to create games in that world"


The future of Zelda is such an interesting topic.

It's nice to have early confirmation that they won't be reusing Hyrule for the next game.

Personally I'd like to see either a new top down Zelda like A Link Between Worlds with a traditional dungeon structure. Not sure if Grezzo are working on something.

If they are going with another 3D game to utilise their engine I'd love to see an original map like they did with Termina.
 
Fair enough. I can understand if they think they've done all they can with these games.

Time to move onto the next console and the next main Zelda title.

Does that mean no more games with that art style/ same Hyrule?

Thank God lol

Please realistic Zelda for Switch 2 thx
ew no, realistic zelda would suck.
 
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Nintendo just has a different approach to things. When they feel like they've exhausted a game mechanic they move on.

Not all the time, Splatoon 123 are all the same really. So will be interesting to see if they do something fresh with 4.
 
I knew it! No way TotK was ever getting DLC. It's so huge most people who play it will never finish it, anyway. And hopefully the gap before the next Zelda isn't 6 years.

Personally I'd prefer the next Zelda to focus more on traditional dungeons.
 
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One thing for sure, it's gonna be another open world zelda. Let's hope they focus on combat and dungeons this time, 2 things lacking in the last 2 games.
 
Take notes, From Software.

And I mean the right ones, not "open world for the sake of it and a jumping horse for good measure".
If they ever make a (spiritual?) Bloodborne sequel, I hope the go back to the non-open world design. Elden Ring is a good game but I most likely won't replay it again. While I do replay Sekiro or Dark Souls.
 
In a way, it's better.
It's time to move on.
Hopefully, the next Zelda will surprise as much as Botw.

I agree. I like this take on Zelda but "make your own adventure" is something that can be mastered in one game, and they did it already. Time for a new formula please.
 
If TOTK is a dlc then Spider-Man 2 is too.

TOTK happened because they were making BOTW DLC but they had too many ideas for DLC so it grew into a sequel. People latch on to its BOTW roots but where it ended up was a legitimate sequel...at least, you would know that if you actually play it, and don't form your opinion on watching 3 minutes of Youtube videos.

iT's JuSt dLc w/ pHySIcs hALFLiFe hAd iN 2O14
 
Man.. Nintendo are so weird. I kinda get his logic, but come on.. I just want a little bit more!
scratching chappelles show GIF

Something new for TotK between the 6/7-year wait for the next game would've been nice. The DLC dungeon for BotW was the best in that entire game.
 
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Thank God. TOTK was already too overly familiar. Guess that confirms the next one won't use the same map yet again to make it a trilogy for some stupid reason.
 
No new areas?
No new items?
No new enemies?
Nothing to add at all? Really?

Fine, you don't want to for some reason, but there's a lot of different things they could add for DLC.
 
I agree. I like this take on Zelda but "make your own adventure" is something that can be mastered in one game, and they did it already. Time for a new formula please.
I'm pretty sure they've already confirmed that they'll be using this formula moving forward.
 
No new areas?
No new items?
No new enemies?
Nothing to add at all? Really?

Fine, you don't want to for some reason, but there's a lot of different things they could add for DLC.
Nintendo doesn't have infinite resources, if they continue on with DLC, it will take away from their next game. TotK is a big package and it really doesn't need to have more. I prefer they focus on the next one.
 
Nintendo doesn't have infinite resources, if they continue on with DLC, it will take away from their next game. TotK is a big package and it really doesn't need to have more. I prefer they focus on the next one.
Virtually all games with DLCs are a complete package, it's just more content for people to enjoy. BotW's dlc also didn't hinder TotK either.
 
TOTK happened because they were making BOTW DLC but they had too many ideas for DLC so it grew into a sequel. People latch on to its BOTW roots but where it ended up was a legitimate sequel...at least, you would know that if you actually play it, and don't form your opinion on watching 3 minutes of Youtube videos.

iT's JuSt dLc w/ pHySIcs hALFLiFe hAd iN 2O14

Yah i know. Pretty stupid to say that in the first place considering it has more than double (if not triple) the content and new gaming-changing features
 
Virtually all games with DLCs are a complete package, it's just more content for people to enjoy. BotW's dlc also didn't hinder TotK either.
Yeah but that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that resources that go to DLC are resources that are taken away from other game dev at Nintendo.
 
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