As a dedicated explorer of Hyrule, I've witnessed countless innovations since Tears of the Kingdom launched two years ago, but few discoveries have shaken the community like TagBackTV's streamlined item duplication glitch. This elegant exploit, functioning seamlessly on versions 1.1.0 and 1.1.1, allows players to clone precious resources—from rare Star Fragments to bomb flowers—with unprecedented ease. Gone are the days of fiddly bow-swapping techniques; this method leverages Link's shield-surfing animation mid-air, turning a simple jump and button combo into a treasure multiplier. It’s like discovering a hidden backdoor in Hyrule Castle itself—unexpected, accessible, and utterly game-changing. 
The Evolution of Duplication: From Complexity to Simplicity
Previously, duplicating items felt like performing open-heart surgery with a soup spoon. Players relied on chaotic multitasking:
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🏹 Bow-Fusion Chaos: Fusing items to bows, then rapidly opening/closing menus to confuse the game’s inventory logic.
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⏱️ Precision Timing: Frame-perfect inputs that demanded practice akin to mastering a musical instrument.
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❌ High Failure Rate: One mistimed button press meant wasted resources.
TagBackTV’s method strips away this friction. By exploiting the brief window during Link’s shield-surf initiation, duplication becomes as intuitive as whistling for your horse:
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Jump from elevated ground (or low-gravity zones like Sky Islands for extended air time).
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Initiate shield surf (hold ZL + press A).
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While airborne, open the inventory with +.
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Hold up to 5 items you wish to duplicate.
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Press Y (drop) and B (close menu) simultaneously.
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Collect the doubled items glowing on the ground.
This glitch works because the game’s code, momentarily flustered by the shield-surf animation, fails to register the dropped items as removed from your inventory—like a distracted librarian checking out the same book twice.
Why This Glitch Resonates
| Aspect | Old Methods | TagBackTV’s Method |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | 🟥 High (required muscle memory) | 🟩 Low (intuitive timing) |
| Setup | 🟨 Complex (multiple bows/fusions) | 🟩 Minimal (just shield + jump) |
| Efficiency | 🟧 Moderate (1-2 items/sec) | 🟦 High (5 items/sec) |
| Accessibility | 🟥 Expert players only | 🟩 All skill levels |
Speedrunner Smallant emphasizes the critical nuance: "The Y+B press must feel like a single heartbeat—a synchronized tap, not sequential clicks." In low-gravity areas, items multiply like bacteria in a petri dish, letting players amass 50+ diamonds in minutes. Yet, it’s version-locked; Nintendo patched it in 1.2.0, making physical cartridges without updates a hot commodity.
Community Impact & Creative Exploits
Since 2024, players have weaponized this glitch for astonishing feats:
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🏗️ Building Mega-Projects: Unlimited Zonaite fuels colossal flying machines and automated battle arenas.
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⚔️ Boss Preparation: Stockpiling Ancient Blades to melt Gleeoks in seconds.
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🍖 Culinary Excess: Duplicating Hearty Radishes for unbreakable stamina wheels during endurance climbs.
One player even recreated the Temple of Time using 1,000+ duplicated stone slabs—a monument to the glitch’s potential. Yet, it’s not without controversy. Purists argue it trivializes resource gathering, while others celebrate its democratization of late-game content. As one Redditor noted: "It’s not cheating; it’s rewriting Hyrule’s economy."
The Unspoken Risks
⚠️ Caution: Overusing glitches can corrupt save files. Always:
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Backup saves before mass duplication.
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Avoid combining with other exploits (e.g., item smuggling).
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Update cautiously—post-1.1.1 patches erase this functionality.
Two years post-launch, Tears of the Kingdom remains a sandbox of emergent gameplay. This glitch, a testament to player ingenuity, transforms scarcity into abundance. Whether you’re hoarding Light Dragon scales or crafting 50-rocket death machines, duplication is now a tap away—no magic spells required.
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