The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Drops to $38.97 at Walmart With Coupon Code SAVE3X

Walmart has dropped The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for Nintendo Switch to $38.97 after applying a 30% instant discount and coupon code SAVE3X, marking the lowest price recorded for IGN's 2023 Game of the Year. The deal brings the open-world adventure into Black Friday pricing territory months ahead of the holiday season. For Switch owners who have held off on Link's latest journey, this represents a significant entry point for a title that originally retailed at $69.99.

The pricing structure combines an automatic 30% discount that reduces the game to $48.97 with free shipping, followed by an extra $10 off via the SAVE3X coupon code at checkout. Walmart's official terms specify the coupon is valid on the first three online pickup or delivery orders for new customers with a minimum $35 order, though IGN's commerce team confirmed the code works for many returning customers as well. The final $38.97 price point undercuts most previous sales by a comfortable margin.

Here's a thinking process:

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom follows a few years after the events of Breath of the Wild, continuing Link's adventure across a dramatically expanded version of Hyrule. The game builds on its predecessor's foundation by adding verticality to the exploration formula — floating islands in the sky and an underground abyss now complement the familiar Hyrule mainland. This three-layer world design fundamentally changes how players approach traversal, puzzle-solving, and combat encounters across the map.

In his 10/10 review, IGN's Tom Marks called Tears of the Kingdom "a remarkable sequel the somehow raises the bar." The game retains the open-world adventure genre that defined Breath of the Wild while introducing new abilities like Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend, and Recall that transform how players interact with the environment. These mechanics enable creative problem-solving that extends far beyond the original game's toolkit, allowing players to construct vehicles, modify weapons on the fly, and manipulate physics in ways the developers likely never fully anticipated.

"a remarkable sequel the somehow raises the bar"

Tom Marks, IGN

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Here's a thinking process:

The timing of this price drop carries strategic weight for Nintendo's ecosystem. With a new Ocarina of Time remake arriving later in November, players have a narrow window to experience Tears of the Kingdom before another major Zelda release competes for attention. The game's 10/10 review score and Game of the Year recognition reflect a consensus that this sequel justifies its full price — making a 44% discount particularly noteworthy for a first-party Nintendo title that rarely sees deep price cuts.

For players debating the upgrade path, the $9.99 Switch 2 edition upgrade option adds long-term value. The original Switch version runs on current hardware, but the enhanced edition promises performance improvements that could matter for a game that occasionally strains the base console's capabilities in dense areas. Buying at $38.97 now and upgrading later totals roughly $49 — still well below the original launch price for a single version.

Anyone on the fence about Tears of the Kingdom should recognize that Nintendo first-party titles rarely drop this aggressively outside of major shopping holidays. The combination of critical acclaim, expansive content, and the upcoming Switch 2 upgrade path makes this a rare alignment of value and timing. Whether you're finishing the fight against Ganondorf or building absurd contraptions with Ultrahand, the barrier to entry has never been lower.