Translation of the Anouma/Fujibayashi interview

"An Interview with the Developers of 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' - A Remarkable Sequel That Prioritizes Playfulness - TGS 2023.09.06 11:57

Exceeding 'Breath of the Wild': How Did This Astonishing Sequel Come to Be?

It's been four months since the release of 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' (hereinafter referred to as 'Tears of the Kingdom'). As a sequel to 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' (hereinafter referred to as 'Breath of the Wild'), which is often hailed as the pinnacle of the series, this game was released amidst high expectations from players. It has surpassed those expectations with its immense volume, overwhelming freedom, and a grand-scale narrative. The adventure, set in the vast land and skies of Hyrule, and even beneath the earth, has captivated people worldwide, leading to new 'discoveries' and 'creations' every day.

This time, we conducted an interview with the development team at Nintendo, who crafted this captivating world. We interviewed the producer, Hidetoshi Aonuma, and the director, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, to discuss secrets and insights about the game, now that it's been released.

Please be aware that we will also touch upon some 'Minna ni Naishodayo' topics, which may include spoilers related to certain aspects of the story. Therefore, we advise caution for those who haven't played the game yet or are still on their adventure."

Hidetoshi Aonuma (photo on the right) (あおぬま　えいじ)
Producer of 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom'

Hidemaro Fujibayashi (photo on the left) (ふじばやし　ひでまろ)
Director of 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom'

Creating the Underground World Kept Secret Until Release!?

— First, I'd like to ask about the early stages of development. Did development start immediately after the completion of 'Breath of the Wild'?

Aonuma: It's difficult to say exactly what "development starting" means... The 'Legend of Zelda' series usually follows a pattern where we start thinking about the next title as soon as one is finished. Fujibayashi was thinking about what new gameplay challenges to take on next, and I was pondering whether to create a sequel or venture into a completely new world for 'The Legend of Zelda.' So, in terms of when we started thinking about it, it was right after we finished developing the paid DLC for 'Breath of the Wild' (DLC Pack 1: 'The Master Trials' and DLC Pack 2: 'The Champions' Ballad').

— On the official Nintendo website's "Ask the Developers," there was a story about how, after completing the DLC for 'Breath of the Wild,' you created things like tanks by combining only parts from the previous game's world. When was this?

Fujibayashi: That was after we finished developing the additional content. We put a lot of effort into creating the additional content, so during that time, we were thinking about something else on the side and actually tried it out once development had settled.

Aonuma: In Fujibayashi's project proposal at the time, there was something written like "pineapple" to explain a new ability clearly, and it was there (laughs).

— Oh! That really helps to imagine the fun of things like the Ultra Hand and Scrabuild.

(Note: "Pineapple" (Pineapple Pen) refers to a one-liner from the 2016 viral YouTube song "PPAP" (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen) performed by Pikotaro, played by Daimaou Kosaka.)

— This game was initially announced with the tentative title of "'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' Sequel." Among 'The Legend of Zelda' series fans, some might have recalled 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time' (released on November 21, 1998) and its sequel, 'The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask' (released about a year and a half later on April 27, 2000) and wondered if the adventure would be of a similar scale. When the lid was finally lifted, the scale of the adventure turned out to be astonishing. Was this something you had envisioned from the start?

Fujibayashi: We didn't want to make it just a simple sequel with a few new elements, so we wanted to create something entirely new. Actually, we realized we could take a different approach back when we were developing 'Breath of the Wild'... but it was a direction different from what 'Breath of the Wild' was aiming for, so we set aside that idea at the time.

— Does that include the new elements like caves and the underground world?

Fujibayashi: The underground world came a little later. The core concept for the sequel was that "with the systems of 'Breath of the Wild,' we can do other things." The idea of caves and the underground world came after we had the "play" of creating various things with the Ultra Hand and decided to expand on that "play."

By the way, without causing any misunderstanding, the underground world was created in an incredibly short period.

— Really? Is that so?

Fujibayashi: When I say that, the staff might get mad and say, "It's not that easy!" (laughs). To be precise, it was a very short time from when the base terrain for the underground world came into existence.

The underground world is in an inverted relationship with the surface, where high areas on the surface are low in the underground, and vice versa, with rivers and low areas on the surface becoming elevated walls. This was originally designed when creating the surface areas, dividing them with rivers for level design. So, when we created such an inverted terrain, it naturally divided the areas where rivers were located, and the terrain was designed organically in another layer. So, I wanted to test this, and I remember discussing a few conditions like that with the programmers, and they quickly came up with a prototype.

Aonuma: Not only Fujibayashi but other staff members as well, within the flow of creating the previous game, were thinking, "Can we do something different using the materials from 'Breath of the Wild'?" In that process, programmers quickly realized it through an automated approach.

Fujibayashi: Of course, we spent a long time fine-tuning it to its current state, but creating the base didn't take much time.

Aonuma: If it took too much time or effort, I would have put a stop to it. I said something like, "Hey, this can be done relatively easily," and it was decided to proceed in that direction (laughs).

— So, does that mean you first created the field itself for the underground world and then thought about what elements to include?

Fujibayashi: No, it's the "play" that comes first. It was the same for 'Breath of the Wild,' but in 'Tears of the Kingdom' as well, we wanted to take the "game cycle" and make it into something new.

— What specifically does that entail?

Fujibayashi: To put it simply, we designed the underground as a very dark and scary "field that requires preparation," and we structured it so that the preparations for exploring it are done on the surface or in a slightly mysterious sky where you obtain unique items.

In the underground, the means of healing hearts are limited, so players explore using only what they've prepared in advance. If it becomes dangerous, they return to the surface to prepare again and then challenge the underground. It's a "cycle" like that. To create this cycle, we placed things and items in the underground that make players want to venture into it, and these are unique to the underground.

— Indeed, when you get old maps and such, you feel like diving back into the underground for exploration.

Fujibayashi: And to ensure that players enjoy exploration and discovery in the underground, having it be dark helps make it clear how much you've explored and developed the area.

Aonuma: Holding a torch to illuminate the darkness is one of the traditional elements of the series. But exploring such vast areas dynamically while lighting your own source of light is a kind of "play" that can only be achieved thanks to the capabilities of the current hardware, I believe.

— In the pre-release promotion, the focus was on the sky as the setting, so everyone's attention was on the sky... But when people actually played the game, they must have been surprised by the incredibly vast underground world. It was a fantastic surprise. Was there a deliberate decision not to reveal the underground world in the promotion?

Aonuma: Well, our director, Fujibayashi, insisted on "absolutely keeping it hidden."

Fujibayashi: I thought that discovering the existence of the underground world in the game, as part of the "exploration" and "discovery" elements of 'The Legend of Zelda,' would be a form of "play." I believed that players would enjoy the game more when they thought, "I had no idea this was here!" So, I requested that it not be mentioned in the promotion.

Aonuma: Also, even if we had shown a portion of the underground in advance, I think people would have just thought, "Oh, there's a dark world too." The surprise comes from the fact that the underground world is seamlessly connected to the surface, and I felt that trying to convey the gameplay that unfolds there in a pre-cut form before release would be impossible.

If conveying the fun of the game required people to experience it firsthand, then it seemed better not to reveal it intentionally before release.

— We were completely taken by surprise as well and were truly amazed (laughs). Please tell us how you fleshed out the underground world.

Fujibayashi: One of the themes of the gameplay this time is "vertical gameplay." In 'The Legend of Zelda' series, we often incorporate gameplay based on pairs of concepts like "surface and underside" or "past and future." In this game too, "sky and surface" and "surface and underground" are actually back-to-back and form a complementary relationship vertically.

For example, if there's a prominent landmark on the surface, there's often something beneath it in the underground. Or if you find many relics on the surface, looking up from there, you might see floating islands in the sky. We designed the field in a way that allows players to infer the connection between the upper and lower levels. The ability to seamlessly dive from the sky to the underground is also a result of this "vertical gameplay."

— Being able to seamlessly traverse from the sky through the surface and into the underground must have been quite a technical challenge, right?

Fujibayashi: Yes, it was. The programmers put a lot of effort into it, continuously tweaking and optimizing until it was realized.

Aonuma: In fact, it wasn't seamless until the very end of development. There were times when Link would stop and not fall due to loading issues.

— It sounds like it was quite a challenging task...

Aonuma: The programmers kept saying, "It's okay," but that situation continued until the end of development. So, I kept asking, "Are you sure it can truly be seamless?" multiple times... But in the end, they made it happen solidly (laughs).

— (Laughs). In this game, I felt that the time required to complete it is around 100 hours from a personal perspective. It significantly exceeds the average completion time for a typical game. Was this duration anticipated from the beginning, or did it result from overdevelopment?

Fujibayashi: We did indeed anticipate players spending a long time with this game from the initial planning stages.

— So it was planned from the beginning?

Aonuma: In 'The Legend of Zelda,' we often talk about "multiplier gameplay," where the fun increases as you combine different elements. When you add new elements, the playtime naturally multiplies, and I believe there are advantages to that. Many players spending a long time with the game can lead to communication and experiences that are shared with others.

In the past, when a game was cleared quickly and that was it, it didn't spread widely. But this time, it's been spreading over time because many people have been playing it for an extended period. I believe this is the result of many players enjoying it for a long time.

— This time, Link's abilities have been revamped from 'Breath of the Wild.' Was this a decision made from the beginning, or was there any hesitation about changing things from the previous game?

Fujibayashi: When thinking about creating a new 'The Legend of Zelda' game, the first thing we consider is what kind of "play" can be done with Link's abilities. We knew from the start that if we continued with the four abilities from the Sheikah Slate in the previous game, the "play" itself wouldn't change. So, there was no hesitation or doubt; it was a clear decision.

— The new abilities introduced, like the Ultra Hand and Toreroof, are highly versatile, allowing players to use them in various ways. Was it challenging to develop these abilities?

Fujibayashi: Since the skills of the staff, especially the programmers who worked on the previous game, had accumulated, we could foresee to some extent what kinds of issues might arise when using Link's new abilities. So, we created something like the "construction standards" for the world of Hyrule in advance and shared it among the staff.

Aonuma: That's why, without the foundation from the previous game, we probably wouldn't have been able to go all out like this.

— I'm curious about the "construction standards" (laughs). The Ultra Hand is intuitive to operate, allowing players to rotate and change the angle of objects easily. Did its current form come together smoothly?

Fujibayashi: During development, this was an aspect that went through many iterations through testing, and the staff spent the most effort and time on it.

To put it simply, initially, it took 5 steps (5 actions) to create a raft. However, I told the staff, "5 steps are too many. If you can't do it in 4 steps, it will be too cumbersome, and no one will make rafts." So, they made it possible in 4 steps. And once it was doable in 4 steps, they thought, "We could do it in 3 steps like this, right?" So, they kept working with the staff to reduce the number of steps gradually. Eventually, they aimed for "2 steps, 1 step would be the best," and optimized it by reducing the number of steps step by step, resulting in its current form.

— It seems you pursued a simplicity that makes players want to create.

Fujibayashi: Initially, players could adjust the rotation angle down to 1 degree, allowing them to create objects in their preferred shape exactly. However, there was a trade-off there. While some players might be satisfied with being able to finely adjust the angles, we believed that many players would prefer objects to stick together with fewer steps rather than setting precise angles.

— In that case, was the Blueprint introduced as a helpful feature of the Ultra Hand?

Fujibayashi: The Blueprint was an idea that naturally emerged during playtesting. It's because redoing something you've already made once can feel like a hassle.

Moreover, from the development side, it allows us to suggest how to use the Ultra Hand without using words. We also thought of using the Blueprint design as a "treasure" that players can acquire in the game.

— There are many types of Zonai Gear, and it's fun to see unique ways they are used on social media. How were the Zonai Gear implemented, and what criteria were used to decide which ones to include?

Fujibayashi: From many candidates, we chose ones that are as simple as possible but still have distinctive, standout functions and features. We didn't have a 100% complete imagination of what each Zonai Gear could do, but we believed that by creating them in this way, players would come up with things we hadn't even imagined, just like they are posting on social media. To avoid narrowing down the gameplay, we aimed to add personality without imposing preferences like "we want players to use it this way."

That's why we had many candidates, but among them, we tried them out collectively through play and monitored the results. Based on the results of playing and feedback, the number and variety of Zonai Gear have been determined.

— Zonai Gear automatically activates with a single hit, which is simple and user-friendly. However, it can be accidentally triggered, leading to unexpected failures like missing a ride on a car. Was this slight inconvenience intentional?

Fujibayashi: In reality, we tried various things to make activation take more time or to prevent it from going off unintentionally. However, doing so would make the process go from "5 steps to 4 steps, 3 steps," as I mentioned earlier.

Also, we knew that accidents would happen, but there's a humorous aspect to it as well. The current form is believed to create an interesting state within the game.

Aonuma: If we were to create a switch-like mechanism, it would require a new action to press it. Instead, by allowing it to activate simply by hitting it, you can make it move even from a distance by shooting arrows or activate it in various ways. It makes sense in that regard.

— While playing, I felt that it's a feature that's perfect for the age of video streaming, as it can lead to unexpected reactions and become a funny story to tell.

Fujibayashi: The development team also enjoyed exchanging videos within the team during development. In the team's place for exchanging videos, they uploaded various things they created, saying, "I made something like this."

Aonuma: When the staff starts to have fun with it, it's like, "Alright!" If the staff just focus on their work without getting involved in such things and end up thinking, "That's enough," I don't think we can make a very good game. When the staff starts having fun during the development of a game, I believe it's proof that we're making an interesting game.

Fujibayashi: During the full team meetings, staff members picked out interesting videos they created and said, "There's something fun here." Then, staff members aspiring to become internal influencers emerged, and creativity accelerated, and everyone's ideas became more open.

Aonuma: I think this is the advantage of having a large development team. We're often asked, "Do you take player feedback into account?" But in a way, all the staff members are a collective of players, so we can research initial reactions to a certain extent.

— By the way, in the previous game, "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," there was a development style of playing the game with all the staff members and repeatedly providing feedback. Was this style continued for this game as well?

Aonuma: Yes, of course, we do that.

Fujibayashi: Even new staff members were like, "Obviously, you do that, right?" or "When are we going to do it?" They were wondering when they could play (the game) (laughs).

— In the previous game, "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," there were tools to check who was progressing through the game and where they had been defeated, right?

Fujibayashi: This time, we used even more powerful tools than in the previous game, "Breath of the Wild," to monitor and gather data.

Aonuma: This time, the world isn't just horizontal; it's vertical as well. So, we thoroughly checked how vertical movement was working.

Respecting Players' Creativity and Ideas in Puzzles

— In the previous game, "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," I heard that you provided "three or more solutions" for shrine and dungeon puzzles. Was the same approach taken in this game as well?

Fujibayashi: That hasn't changed, but there are more situations and methods that can be considered the "correct" way to solve puzzles compared to the previous game. As a result, players might think, "I cleared it, but was that really the correct way?" (laughs). In this game, we've encouraged players to approach challenges in more creative ways, so having more than three possible solutions felt necessary.

— Some players find ways to forcefully bypass obstacles quite easily, don't they?

Aonuma: Some players are saying, "Isn't the best way to connect multiple boards to create a long bridge and simply cross over?"

— Many players seem to enjoy using long boards to overcome challenges (laughs).

Aonuma: The joy of discovering something that "shouldn't be done" but can be done is incredible.

— It's great that you're open to players' creativity.

Aonuma: If it's fun for them, then it's totally okay. If it feels like a chore, it won't be enjoyable, so it's a delicate balance, but we're paying close attention to fine-tune it.

— Speaking of player reactions, shortly after the game's release, there was a buzz on social media about the Korok saying, "I'm too tired and can't move at all..." Was that something you intentionally included?

Fujibayashi: We didn't intentionally aim for it to go viral, but we did have some idea of how players might treat the Koroks with the Ultra Hand and Zonai Gear.

— Ah, like attaching them to vehicles, throwing them, dropping them from high places...

Fujibayashi: When it comes to how players handle them, we didn't want them to think, "Oh, this is too cruel, I shouldn't do it." We wanted them to be able to have fun without feeling guilty about anything they do, so we requested that they create a character that could handle anything with a smile. Interestingly, that character's speech and personality are very similar to the staff member who was responsible for it.

— I'd love to meet them! (laughs) Another memorable character in the field is Kabanda, who supports the signs. Could you tell us about the background and purpose of his creation?

Fujibayashi: Kabanda was born not from a character but from a function. We wanted to create a simple puzzle game using the Ultra Hand and physics simulations that players could casually enjoy in the field.

— Indeed, it's easy to understand, given that the goal is to prevent the sign from falling.

Fujibayashi: However, if the puzzle were too mechanical, it wouldn't be very enjoyable. So, we thought about whether adventurers exploring the world might notice it and stop by, adding that character to make it more interesting. By the way, the person who created Kabanda is the same one who worked on the Travel Log.

— I see! I definitely want to have a more in-depth conversation now. By the way, is it okay that you can easily clear Kabanda's sign with the floating stones from the Zonai Gear?

Fujibayashi: In fact, the floating stones can be used in various places. It's fine if players always use them to clear it, and there are many other ways to clear it as well. We've designed it so that players can freely choose their preferred method of clearing. If it brings enjoyment to the players, we consider it part of the "play."

"What is the theme of the story in 'Tears of the Kingdom'?"

Now you can go ahead with discussing the themes or story details, and I'll be here to assist you further.

"This time, the story is very dramatic and captivating, isn't it? Especially, the series' arch-nemesis, Ganondorf, is portrayed as thoroughly evil, making a strong impression. What was the theme you aimed to portray in this story?"

Fujibayashi: "In this story, it wasn't built around Ganondorf; it was already decided to be a sequel, so we took advantage of the connection with the previous game's world. One of the themes was to depict 'the growth of living individuals' within the game.

To portray the growth of various characters, Zelda, in particular, is a significant presence. In the previous game, she had a sense of self-blame because the Hyrule Kingdom relied too heavily on the Sheikah tribe's technology, which triggered the kingdom's downfall, leading to the suffering of the people. Therefore, in 'Tears of the Kingdom,' she doesn't simply advocate for the 'rebuilding of the kingdom.' She contemplates what is best in her position and is in such a state when the events of this story occur, sending her into a past world.

I see. In the previous game, the scenes where she was troubled by her own inadequacy were memorable, and in this game, there are many signs of her growth, where she does what she can for the people living in Hyrule."

Fujibayashi: "Then, when Princess Zelda from the era of Hyrule's founding visits, she encounters King Rauru, who built the kingdom, and Queen Sonia, who supported him. Through interactions with them, she grows by witnessing up close 'What is a kingdom?' and 'What is a king?' In that context, we wanted not just a respected king among the people but also a presence as an absolute evil king. Therefore, we felt that Ganondorf was the most suitable character for this role and introduced him as the Demon King. So, he's portrayed as a character with pride as the Demon King."

"Ganondorf was indeed essential as a key element in depicting growth."

Fujibayashi: "Also, when we heard the final thoughts and memories of customers who had played 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,' we learned that many of them had spent a significant amount of time experiencing various things within the game and creating their own stories. They shared how they had invested a lot of time and effort, and when they finally saved Princess Zelda, they were deeply moved.

This kind of personal growth and the resulting unique emotions seemed to be deeply connected to the player's individual journey. We realized that this kind of growth and experience was possible precisely because it was a video game. Therefore, in 'Tears of the Kingdom,' we wanted to create a mechanism where not only Zelda and her companions grew but also the players themselves, resulting in a more special experience when they completed the game.

In this game, Princess Zelda goes through some challenging experiences..."

Fujibayashi: "...But, as I mentioned earlier, focusing on the deeply depicted reunion with Princess Zelda after a long adventure would make the player's experience richer for the reasons I discussed. That's why there are many cutscenes that focus on Princess Zelda."

Q: By the way, when did you all begin to notice Princess Zelda's fate in the past?

A (Aonuma): Personally, I noticed during the relevant movie scene. There are people in our team who didn't notice until they obtained the Master Sword or those who understood it through "Minel's Advice about the Dragon's Tears," so it varies.

A (Fujibayashi): Actually, I know a couple of acquaintances who obtained the Master Sword early in the game. They were like, "Wait, what's going on here?" and kept playing (laughs).

Q: Allowing such a wide range of playstyles is truly impressive.

A (Fujibayashi): To establish the idea of "any playstyle is acceptable," we had to come up with various ideas.

A (Aonuma): In terms of the story and as a game, we created many scenes that players might not encounter in the game to ensure consistency.

Q: Besides the significant story elements, I noticed that even small details like dialogue patterns for Kangoose the painter change depending on the weather. It feels like there are more patterns for dialogue in small details compared to the previous game.

A (Fujibayashi): When it comes to dialogue patterns, during the development phase, there were often discussions about whether the time and effort required for them were justified. It's the trickiest part to handle. However, I believed that refining these aspects would make the game feel more alive. So, after the game's shape was largely set in the latter stages of development, we concentrated on expanding the dialogue patterns.

A (Aonuma): The localization team was like, "What's with this amount of text?" (laughs). They were really surprised.

Q: Regarding the story, while there were remnants of the Zonai civilization in the previous game, did you consider the possibility of a sequel?

A (Fujibayashi): At that time, we were fully focused on creating "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" without thinking about a sequel. Leaving something for later just in case might lead to a misguided approach.

A (Aonuma): That's right, we always give it our all, so we don't think that far ahead (laughs).

A (Fujibayashi): While we did dig deeper into various aspects of the setting during the development of "Breath of the Wild," it was to make the world of that game as immersive as possible. As a result, one of those aspects, the Zonai civilization, seemed like something we could further expand upon in "Tears of the Kingdom." So, we created the world and the story based on that. In that sense, there are elements that appear prominent on the field but ultimately remain untouched. Thinking about and enjoying the "mysteries" not explained in the game is also part of the Zelda-esque "play."

Q: In this game, classic Zelda series monsters like Like-Likes and Gohma return. How were the additional monsters decided?

A (Fujibayashi): In fact, from the creators' perspective, we don't think of it as "bringing back" monsters. Monsters, items, and the story—all of it begins with "gameplay first."

Aonuma: Regarding monsters, we initially had the idea of introducing new formidable foes akin to the Lynels from the previous game. Since the game added the sky to the field this time, we thought a formidable flying enemy would fit, which led us to choose Greorg from past games, a large enemy with wings.

A (Fujibayashi): On the other hand, the new monster Horaoblin was created because we wanted a new enemy that uses a long stick as a weapon. With the addition of new caves, we considered enemies that attack from the cave ceiling. We searched past games but couldn't find any that fit, so we created a new enemy with a long stick as a weapon that would be compatible with the terrain.

A (Aonuma): Even for Gohma, when we were thinking about enemies that would fight against Yun the Giant, it had to be something with legs. We came up with the concept of a monster with legs, and if you break its legs, it would be immobilized. It could also fit through Toreroofs and be ridden on, which led to the creation of something like Gohma. Everything is driven by the concept of "gameplay."

Q: Speaking of the timeline in The Legend of Zelda series, where does "Tears of the Kingdom" fit in? While "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" depicted the origin, and "Breath of the Wild" portrayed the end, "Tears of the Kingdom" seems to be a sequel to "Breath of the Wild" and involves the founding of Hyrule. Could it potentially be related to the origin as well?

A (Fujibayashi): It's undoubtedly set after "Breath of the Wild." Essentially, we always think about the story and the world to ensure they don't contradict. At this point, I can only say these two things.

With the premise of "no contradictions," I think fans can imagine various possibilities like, "Could this also mean that...?" So, hypothetically, there could be a historical period where Hyrule was destroyed before the founding. We didn't create things haphazardly but aimed to leave room for imagination, even in the unexplained parts.

Q: I see. Now, I'd like to hear about the next installment, although it's still shrouded in mystery. Will it be a direct sequel, a new setting, or something else?

A (Fujibayashi): I don't know if it will be the next installment, but we're thinking about "the next enjoyable experience." What form that will take, I can't say at this point.

A (Aonuma): There are no plans for additional content for this game, as it feels like we've thoroughly explored that world. The reason we made this game a sequel to the previous one is because we believed there was value in experiencing new gameplay in that world. So, if new reasons for returning to that world emerge, whether as a sequel or a new installment, I think it will bring entirely new gameplay. I hope you'll look forward to it.

Q: It seems that the expectations of players have grown even higher since "Breath of the Wild," so surpassing those expectations in the future will be challenging.

A (Aonuma): Fujibayashi and the development team don't see it as a hurdle, so please look forward to it!

Q: Ohhh!!

A (Fujibayashi): I believe the staff who have been working on The Legend of Zelda series over the years have always been thinking that way when creating games. It's very gratifying that many players are playing "Tears of the Kingdom" deeply and extensively. So, we want to do our best to make the next installment even more enjoyable.

Q: We'll definitely look forward to the next installment. Of course, we'll continue enjoying "Tears of the Kingdom!" Thank you very much for today.