Zelda games on Switch 2 will include weapon repairs, but in the most Nintendo way

The Nintendo Switch 2 editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will include a highly requested feature: the ability to repair equipment like swords, shields, and bows. But Nintendo is not simply making this a straightforward, in-game item or available from a new NPC in the games. Switch 2 owners will instead need to rely on the Zelda Notes app feature — and random luck — for their equipment repairs.

Nintendo briefly teased the equipment-repair feature in an overview trailer for the Switch 2 editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom released on April 2. The video showed off the Zelda Notes’ daily bonus feature, which will reward players with perks like free meals or full refills of health, stamina, or energy cell power. Nintendo also hinted at “bow repairs.”

A longer look at Zelda Notes during Nintendo’s Treehouse Live gameplay showcases, as highlighted by YouTuber Zeltik, revealed even more potential daily bonus rewards, including an “equipment repairs” bonus that applies to bows, melee weapons, and shields. That means that players could keep their basic weaponry in good working shape for longer, should they get lucky.

Yes, luck will be involved in snagging equipment repairs through Zelda Notes. The daily bonus options offer just one roulette wheel-style spin every 24 hours, and it appears that players have 12 potential rewards available during each spin. So, actually landing on an equipment repair bonus seems rare, unless players figure out an exploit.

Zelda Notes’ random bonuses are kind of similar to how amiibo figures will give players random rewards in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. But with the exception of equipment repairs, the options seem much more limited, and mainly look like minor perks.

Still, the new daily bonus reward might be a boon to players who loathe Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom’s breakable weapons, a controversial (but understandable) choice enforced by the games’ designers.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom’s Nintendo Switch 2 editions will be released on June 5, the same day Nintendo Switch 2 launches. Zelda Notes will be available as part of the Nintendo Switch app (previously known as the Nintendo Switch Online app), which can be downloaded for free for Android and iOS devices.