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

Nintendo offered fans a long new take on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Tuesday, featuring new facets of Link’s towering adventures in Hyrule. That gameplay footage also confirmed that the weapon durability system is off Breath of the Wild will return Tears of the Kingdom. But a new gameplay feature known as Fuse could make breaking weapons much less of an issue Tears of the Kingdom.

In a new 10 minute gameplay video from Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma showed Link battling a new enemy named Construct. Link hit it with a regular tree branch, which went from “severely damaged” to broken in just a few hits. But Aonuma showed how Fuse – a mechanic that allows Link to weld items, objects and weapons together – will increase a weapon’s durability. By fusing together a tree branch and a boulder, Link made a makeshift hammer, one much stronger than a simple stick. It’s an intriguing change, one that will make players completely rethink their arsenal Tears of the Kingdom.

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

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