Tears of the Kingdom: how Nintendo's secrecy affected the reveal

Briefly summarized

• Many Nintendo employees only learned about Tears of the Kingdom during the E3 2019 Direct.
• The game was kept under an unprecedented level of secrecy, making its reveal a major surprise.
• Tears of the Kingdom has received rave reviews for expanding on Breath of the Wild.

GAME-scanner analysis

The reveal of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom during the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct was not only a major moment for fans, but also for Nintendo employees themselves. It turns out that many staff members only became aware of the game at that very moment. This points to an unprecedented level of secrecy within the company, which not only heightened the excitement for fans, but also affected internal dynamics at Nintendo. Kit Ellis, who was responsible for social media and marketing, said he had to work on the game’s communications in secret, without his team knowing the details. That kind of secrecy is rare in the games industry and shows how important Nintendo considered the reveal of this title to be.

The tight security around the development of Tears of the Kingdom created a mix of curiosity and excitement among employees. The game’s positive reception, with critics praising its innovations and its expansion on the hugely successful Breath of the Wild, confirms that the strategy paid off. The game sold more than 10 million copies in its first three days, further underlining the impact of the reveal.

What does this mean for players?

For players, the secrecy and eventual reveal of Tears of the Kingdom created a unique experience. The surprise and the high expectations helped build the hype around the game, resulting in strong sales and a positive reception. This could also influence future Nintendo reveals, with the company potentially using the same secrecy-driven strategy to raise the stakes.

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