How to Play Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Early

The wait is too much!

May 10th, 2023 by Christian Bognar
Image: Nintendo

Are you one of many looking forward to the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? Did you know there is a way to play this game a day early? It’s true but does require some finessing and isn’t for everyone. If you are willing to take steps to make it happen, below you will find out how to play Tears of the Kingdom a day early in your region.

Here’s How to Play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Early

To play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom early, you must do the old fashion New Zealand trick. The New Zealand trick requires creating a new Nintendo Switch account and setting the timezone to New Zealand time — tricking the console and making it think you live in that country.

This isn’t the only step fans of the series must take, though. They must also purchase The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with a New Zealand debit or credit card, as the new account will require the country’s currency. This means that if you pre-ordered the game already, you would have to purchase it for a second time. Sounds like a lot, I know, but if you are still willing to go forward with this plan — follow the summary of the steps below.

Related: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Edition Switch OLED: Release Date, Accessories, Price, Case, and More.

  1. Create a new Nintendo account with your location set to New Zealand.
  2. Sign into your new account on your Nintendo Switch console.
  3. Purchase The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with a New Zealand debit or credit card.
  4. Install the game and get ready to play early.

If you can complete the steps above, the game will become available on May 11 instead of May 12. It’s a lot of trouble to go through, especially when the game comes out only a day later for your region — so my recommendation is just to wait a little longer and play the game when it officially releases.

Release Times for Playing Tears of the Kingdom Early

If you go through with the New Zealand trick, you will find what time you can play Tears of the Kingdom early listed below.

  • 5 AM PT (May 11)
  • 8 AM EST (May 11)
  • 1 PM BST (May 11)
  • 2 PM CEST (May 11)

- This article was updated on May 10th, 2023

About The Author

Avatar photo

Christian has been a writer of Attack of the Fanboy for seven months and has covered Shadows of Rose, Witcher 3, Wild Hearts, and Redfall; his favorite genre is Survival Horror. He has a business degree but felt the need to take his love for video games to the gaming community. Outside of writing, you can find him listening to all types of podcasts, especially Always Sunny Podcast and Morbid True Crime.

More Stories by Christian Bognar

More on Attack of the Fanboy :