The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will officially be the first Nintendo Switch exclusive to retail for $70, moving up from the previous standard of $60.
The title was listed on the Nintendo eShop at the price after today's Nintendo Direct, which also revealed some Tears of the Kingdom gameplay footage.
The confirmation comes after the wildly anticipated sequel was briefly listed on the Nintendo eShop for $70 ahead of today's Direct, but then removed. That's not before it was noticed and circulated on social media, however, and major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop stopped taking pre-orders that were previously set at $60.
Tears of the Kingdom is now available for pre-order at Best Buy for $70, though other retailers do not appear to have updated their prices yet.
With that $70 price point having leaked, debate already ignited on social media, with some taking issue with the higher price. Others, however, argue that it's justified, especially given inflation and the fact that other publishers have adopted the $70 price point as the new standard.
It won’t be popular but Nintendo can absolutely justify charging $70 for Tears of the Kingdom. It’s their most premium game and they can point to earlier pricing by Sony and Xbox as setting the market. I doubt this will be their default pricing for everything from here on.
— Kit Ellis (@kitosan) February 8, 2023
Zelda tears of the kingdom is really coming out and it's probably gonna be 720p at 30fps and sell for $70. Only Nintendo can get away with this
— Akinola Verissimo (@AkinolaGG) February 8, 2023
Absent from sticker price discussions is also the discussion of value and brand trust. There are few games I'd more easily spend $70 on than Tears of the Kingdom. Between how much content it probably has and how much I loved BOTW, I won't balk at paying that even a little. https://t.co/6eFqXNsa64
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) February 8, 2023
Bro why does it say Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is $70 on Nintendo's website???
— Aero (@ActualAero) February 8, 2023
Ain't no way they copying the PS5 prices this early 💀https://t.co/81T13WcjXz pic.twitter.com/V5TZnWaTRe
In December 2022, Microsoft joined a bevy of other publishers to reveal that new major first-party titles would cost $70 instead of $60, joining the likes of Sony, Ubisoft, and Take-Two Interactive.
It's worth noting, however, that Pikmin 4, which is coming out months after Tears of the Kingdom, has been listed on the eShop at $60. This could indicate that Nintendo is pricing its big games on a case-by-case basis rather than adopting the $70 price point wholesale.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will release for the Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023. For everything announced during today's Nintendo Direct, click here.
Alex Stedman is a News Editor for IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.