In the run up to the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, hype amongst fans had understandably reached fever pitch.
Now, while most of us were quite content to replay Breath of the Wild again or simply sit in the corner of a room and rock back and forth for hours on end, two individuals in Japan were quite eager to take matters into their own hands. By which, we mean that they stole copies of Tears of the Kingdom and have subsequently paid the price. Plonkers.
According to Bunshun (thanks, Automaton), the perpetrators had undertaken part-time work for an Amazon subcontrator, effectively giving them access to warehouses where the game and related accessories were held. One, aged 21, stole a copy of the game and failed to show up to work after having started playing. The other, aged 24, confessed to stealing a copy of the game along with accessories, including the Zelda-themed Pro Controller, in order to sell them on for a profit.
Both were ordered to reimburse all damages following the theft and were, of course, terminated from their employment. According to Automaton, however, the incident is far from an isolated case due to the heavy attrition of part-time workers in fields such as this, leading to many incidents of theft, including the likes of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
It just goes to show the lengths some individuals will go to in order to play a game early. Had they waited like the rest of us, they would no doubt be enjoying Tears of the Kingdom in comfort with a clean record. Shame!