Ashley blends more than three decades worth of love of video games with more than 10 years of professional journalism experience. She has written and edited for multiple outlets, including HardcoreGamer and MassLive, and loves blending her passion for video games with her drive to tell human interest stories.
It’s been a long time for Tears of the Kingdom fans
All eyes are on The Legend of Zelda right now — and for good reason. The franchise is currently in the midst of celebrating its 40th anniversary and the long-awaited remake of Ocarina of Time was released on Nov. 5, 2026, becoming the second best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch 2 less than a week after its release. But, even amid all the Ocarina excitement, it’s hard to forget just how memorable earlier Switch-era Zelda titles were — particularly Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
Breath of the Wild came out on the Nintendo Switch in 2017, and Tears of the Kingdom followed in 2023. Both games are considered part of the franchise’s Wilds era, marked by open-world exploration and non-linear gameplay. The titles are loved by critics and fans alike, with each holding a Metacritic score higher than 95. While there’s been no official word yet on when Zelda fans might see a new Wilds era title built for the Nintendo Switch 2, there is a project in the works that will be sure to appeal to any Tears of the Kingdom fan.
New Link statue marks return to Tears of the Kingdom
A new statue of Link designed by FIGURIZMa is being released in December 2026. The statue, replicating Link’s look and pose from official Tears of the Kingdom artwork, features Link kneeling on a floating island with the Master Sword strapped to his back. It is listed on the Sega Plaza website as being approximately 10 cm x 23 cm (roughly 4 in x 9 in), and a description of the product reads: “Pay attention to the meticulously crafted costumes and the sculpting of the master sword. We paid special attention to the texture of the pants. The rock pedestal reminiscent of the original Great Sky Island was crafted with special attention to recreating unique patterns.”
The statue is a re-release of a 2024 FIGURIZMa figurine that could only be won in Sega Plaza crane games in Japan. It never quite made its way to the United States, and the statue currently sells for between $40 and $60 on resale markets. No price for the 2026 version has been confirmed on the Sega Plaza website, but the release date is listed as Dec. 25, 2026. The re-release is looking likely to be a Japanese exclusive once again, but there’s good news for Zelda fans worldwide — the re-release should drive down resale prices, so more people can get their hands on this Tears of the Kingdom collectible.
The statue is the latest in a line of releases coinciding with The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary. Other items that have been released this year include a lineup of Hasbro action figures and a limited-edition Nintendo Switch 2 console.