The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom release is fast approaching and while we won’t be publishing any major spoilers or leaks here on Nintendo Life, we are still sharing officially released materials. The latest one comes in the form of a translated Nintendo ad in the latest issue of Japanese publication Famitsu.

Now, if you really don’t want to know anything, we suggest you click away now – otherwise, read on…

According to multiple translations of this new ad – including one from former Nintendo Life contributor Steve Bowling – the Master Sword in Tears of the Kingdom is in a “decayed” / “corrupted” state and will undergo a “major transformation”. Admittedly, this isn’t all that surprising given what we’ve already seen in a number of official Nintendo trailers.

@SteveMBowling: “The Master Sword, which has accompanied Link on his adventures, will undergo a major transformation in the latest entry of The Legend of Zelda series!”

As you can see, this Famitsu ad also highlights the “history of the Master Sword” right up until Skyward Sword (which was re-released on the Nintendo Switch in 2021) and also Breath of the Wild.

Once again, the Master Sword’s new state has already been shown on a few occasions, but we’ve not really had descriptions like this until now. Still, the mystery remains as to what exactly is going on with it and Link, so we’ll just have to wait until 12th May to see how it all unfolds.

Nintendo has also given us a handful of brief outlines so far, including this one from the official game page:

“In this sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you’ll decide your own path through the sprawling landscapes of Hyrule and the mysterious islands floating in the vast skies above. Can you harness the power of Link’s new abilities to fight back against the malevolent forces that threaten the kingdom?”

What do you think of the above ad? Any theories about the Master Sword in Tears of the Kingdom? Leave your thoughts below.