Summary

• Tears of the Kingdom won't have one game mode added like BOTW, as no DLC is planned, limiting gameplay options and difficulty levels.
• The challenging mode in BOTW increased enemy difficulty, removed safety nets, and limited save files to make Link's journey harder.
• While the mode could potentially be added to TOTK through an update, it's unlikely as Nintendo seems focused on new adventures for Link.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could be considered a masterpiece that follows up another masterpiece in the form of Breath of the Wild. However, BOTW includes an additional game mode that provides a challenge for even an experienced Link. As it stands, this extra game mode will never be a feature added to TOTK, no matter how fun it would be to give it a shot.

Tears of the Kingdom continues the story where BOTW left off, but peace doesn't last long in Hyrule when Zelda and Link unwittingly free Ganondorf from where he was sealed beneath Hyrule Castle. Both games share a lot of similarities in the design of the map, the dungeons, cooking, and more. But TOTK won't receive any DLC, and that means that some features will never make it into the game, and hoping for conclusions to some storylines is futile.

Tears Of The Kingdom Won't Receive Master Mode

A Feature Added In BOTW DLC

Although the main parts of the game remained the same, Master Mode came with a lot of changes to mechanics and enemies that made it a brutally punishing way to experience the game. Even Expert Difficulty didn't punish Link to the same extent when it came to enemy difficulty and items lost as the result of dying. However, since Master Mode is not currently part of Tears of the Kingdom, and it's been confirmed that no DLC will be added to it, there's no hope that it'll make its way into TOTK in the future.

All Changes In Master Mode

Why It's So Difficult

Master Mode added about a dozen significant changes to BOTW that came together to create a truly challenging experience worthy of the mode's name. Not every change affected gameplay, like the red loading screen. But plenty of other changes came together in ways that stacked difficulty to make Link's journey to save Zelda even harder. As expected, enemies are stronger, and they have an easier time spotting Link, even if he's trying to sneak past them.

Those aren't the only changes to enemies. There are more mini-bosses lurking in Hyrule which adds difficulty, and enemies regenerate their health overtime, even during battle. Link's safety net that prevents a hit from killing him in one strike is removed, and with enemies having a Golden Form, Hyrule is more dangerous than ever. The addition of Floating Platforms means Link has to worry about being attacked from above, but there are more chests on the map as a reward at least.

Then, one of the final significant changes added in Master Mode is fewer save files. This might not be felt immediately while playing Master Mode, but when it comes to having back-up saves in case something goes wrong or a plan fails, options become a bit more limited. So, Master Mode not only increases the chances of Link dying, it removes safety nets that could help in the event of death. It's no wonder that the mode is named after the legendary sword in Zelda, because of the incredible challenge.

Master Mode Could Be Added To TOTK Without DLC

But It's Unlikely

If Nintendo really wanted to, it could add Master Mode or an equivalent to Tears of the Kingdom without putting it in a DLC. An update would be enough to bring it to the game, but it'd have to be a rather big update to make all these changes and add an entire game mode. And while the basis for Master Mode exists due to BOTW, there's probably still a decent amount of work that would need to be done to apply it to TOTK without any issues popping up in the process.

For now, it's best to not hold onto hope that Master Mode will be added as a feature to TOTK at any point, especially not in the near future. It seems like the team at Nintendo is ready to start on whatever adventure will be next for Link in the world of Hyrule instead of adding a new game mode. In the end, the developers working on the next game leads to more great content compared to spending time and energy developing a new DLC and game modes to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

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