Zelda Breath of the Wild Release: 4 Things to Know Before You Buy

Special Editions and Pre-Order Bonuses

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

If you’re looking to grab Breath of the Wild for your new switch, you should be aware of the various editions and bonuses available. Aside from the standard $59.99 copy of the game, there’s also a Special Edition for $99.99 and a Master Edition for $129.99. Best Buy, GameStop, and Amazon have been selling these, though stock has been difficult to come buy in recent days. Keep in mind these editions are only for the Switch version of the game. The Wii U version gets no edition love.

These are the contents of the Special Edition:

• Copy of the game
• Nintendo Switch Sheikah Slate Carrying Case
• Sheikah Eye Collectible Coin
• Relic of Hyrule: Calamity Ganon Tapestry and Weather-Worn Map
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sound Selection CD

The Master Edition (pictured above) comes with the following:

• Copy of the game
• Nintendo Switch Sheikah Slate Carrying Case
• Sheikah Eye Collectible Coin
• Relic of Hyrule: Calamity Ganon Tapestry and Weather-Worn Map
• Sound Selection CD
• Master Sword of Resurrection statue

As for pre-order bonuses, GameStop is offering an exclusive poster to purchasers while supplies last. Check in with your local store to see if any will be available. 

Expansion Pass and DLC

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Starting March 3, 2017, players will be able to purchase an expansion pass for Breath of the Wild, a first for the main Legend of Zelda series. For $20, you’ll receive all of the additional content coming to the game throughout 2017, including a new challenge and Hard Mode in the Summer, and a new story and dungeon towards the end of the year.

The game’s producer, Eiji Aonuma, released a video with the pass’s announcement explaining the team’s motivations behind additional paid content.

“Since this incarnation of Hyrule is so huge, it’s our hope that everyone who plays will have a wide variety of fun experiences as they explore. To help people do that, we’ve decided to create additional content for the game,” said Aonuma. “With this additional content, we’d like to give even seasoned Hyrule explorers something new and fun.”

The Story

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Nintendo has said precious little about Breath of the Wild’s plot, though we do know the general premise. In some Hyrule timeline, Calamity Ganon has overpowered the peace and defeated the Princess and the Hero. The land’s Sheikah, in desperation, raised four massive beasts and a mechanical army, and managed to seal Calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle. But their army turned against the people of Hyrule. The Sheikah was banished by the King of Hyrule, and Ganon continued to grow his power from within the castle.

Now, Link has awoken 100 years later to a guiding female voice. He must venture to the castle and defeat Calamity Ganon, all while learning what truly occurred over the last century.

Other than that, we know that Zelda will play a large, emotional part in the story, and that there is an alternate ending to the game. The rest you’ll have to discover as you play. 

Release Date and Platforms

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be available on March 3, 2017, in line with the release of the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo has yet to announce an exact time or a pre-load window for the game on Wii U, but we’ll keep you updated if they do.

You’ll be able to pick up the game on either the Wii U or Switch, with the former showing a little decrease in graphical prowess. You can check out a comparison video of the two versions over here.

Both the Wii U and Switch version will release on the same day, have the same content, and run at 30 FPS. The Switch version will have higher quality sounds, and will render at 900p on a television, while the Wii U version of Breath of the Wild sits at 720p.