Legend Of Zelda Fans Heartbroken Over Last-Minute Delay

Published Sep 23, 2026, 6:21 AM EDT

Paul Farrelly is a Contributing Writer for Screen Rant’s Gaming section and the founder of GeekGasm.org, a site dedicated to celebrating all things gaming, from triple A blockbusters to weird and wonderful indie hits. Based in Louth, Ireland, Paul has spent years writing about games, pop culture, and tech, turning his lifelong love of gaming into a career that lets him talk (probably too much) about what makes this industry so endlessly fascinating.
He’s previously written and collaborated with several entertainment outlets, including LADbible, gaining a wide perspective on how gaming fits into today’s pop culture conversation. His work blends genuine enthusiasm with thoughtful analysis, exploring how design, storytelling, and community have made gaming one of the most creative mediums around.
When he’s not glued to a controller or keyboard, Paul’s usually spinning vinyl, plotting his next horror marathon, or debating which Resident Evil entry really reigns supreme.
 

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Gamers are no strangers to delays. In fact, if you want to call yourself a true gamer, you need a hardened heart when it comes to release windows. We've seen Grand Theft Auto VI delayed twice, with the original release date being nearly a year ago. And many Duke Nukem fans (all twelve of them) were left waiting longer than it takes to complete a masters in rocket science. Both of those sets of fans, though, have it way better than those waiting for a Half-Life 2 sequel! Delays seem inevitable and, unfortunately, The Legend of Zelda has just been hit with one.

Fear not, though The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time fans, this latest delay has nothing to do with the upcoming remake. This applies more to literary fans of our Hyrule hero. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Secrets of the Zonai is a collector's book filled with behind the scenes sketches, artwork and glorious illustrations that cover lore and history lifted straight from Hyrule. The fictional history book is an amazing companion piece for any The Legend of Zelda fan and, unfortunately, fans outside of Japan will have to wait a lot longer than first expected.

Dark Horse Direct

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Secrets of the Zonai was initially due to release in October 2026 but has now been pushed six months to April 2027. As the book is based on the existing Japanese book, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Master Works, published by Tokuma Shoten it seems a little unfair that fans outside of Japan have been kept waiting so long. It would seem that getting localization spot on and avoiding lore getting lost in translation takes a long time to perfect.

Fans of The Legend of Zelda franchise are a bit upset learning about the latest delay. The gorgeous artwork from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, backed up with lore from the series, sounds like the perfect Christmas gift for any budding Nintendo fan, and it would have made sense to launch it this year to tie in with the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda franchise, but alas, it's not to be. Fans are voicing their frustrations over on Reddit.

One said the following about the delay:

What is happening to this book!? It came out in Japan August 2024, what is in this book that takes 3 years to localize?

While another was happy to have a little bit more time to save up, saying the following:

I know it’s upsetting to a lot of people, but it’s a relief to me. My poor wallet is spending so much on Zelda soon that it can afford to wait a little while before this releases!

Dark Horse Direct

With The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake still to come in 2026, perhaps a delay will give fans more time to smash a few pots and find more rupees to purchase The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Secrets of the Zonai next April. With Grand Theft Auto VI, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TIme remake and Gears of War: E-Day still to come in 2026, no matter what console you own, you'll be handing over your hard-earned cash before the holiday season is out.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Secrets of the Zonai is available to pre-order today over at Dark Horse Direct. Yes, the delay may suck for hardcore fans of The Legend of Zelda franchise, but all good things come to those who wait. This collector's item looks like the perfect coffee table conversation starter and might be the perfect companion piece to the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TIme remake. At the very least, it'll look good sitting next to that giant replica Master Sword you know you shouldn't have bought!