Anyone thinking of buying The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild’s enhanced Switch 2 port needs to know that it’s not a complete version of the game.
Ever since the Nintendo Switch 2 showcase last week, it feels like every day has brought new details that have gradually diminished what should be an exciting time for fans.
Not only is Nintendo selling its first party games at very high prices (with Mario Kart World in particular going for upwards of £75), but most games still lack exact UK prices and there have been conflicting statements on whether physical versions of Switch 2 Edition games even exist.
Now, more than a week since the showcase, Nintendo has admitted to a small but no less crucial detail about the Switch 2 version of The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild: it won’t include the DLC.
As a reminder, despite the original being over eight years old at this point, Breath Of The Wild on Switch 2 is being sold for £66.99 physically (it may be cheaper digitally, but Nintendo hasn’t confirmed this yet). By comparison, the original Switch version is £55.99, both physically and digitally.
This is arguably justified by it being an upgraded version that boasts an improved frame rate and visuals, as well as compatibility with a new Zelda Notes service, but the lack of DLC kind of sours the deal.
If you had assumed this doubled as a complete edition of Breath Of The Wild, that bundled in the DLC, you’d be wrong. In a statement to IGN, Nintendo confirmed that Breath Of The Wild’s expansion pass will remain a separate purchase.
The expansion pass is quite substantial and comes with a new difficulty level, a new dungeon, and new items, among other things and costs £17.99.
So, anyone planning on purchasing a Switch 2 copy of Breath Of The Wild will presumably need to spend just under £85 for a complete package, making it more expensive than even Mario Kart World.
That’s assuming there isn’t some kind of special discount for Switch 2 owners but, as with a worrying amount of other things, Nintendo hasn’t even mentioned the DLC yet.
The upgrade price isn’t nearly so bad for anyone who already owns the Switch 1 version, since they can upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $10. There’s no confirmed UK price yet, but that probably means around £8.
The Switch 2 version is also free for anyone subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, though you’ll still have to pay the extra £17.99 to access the DLC.
Regardless, it’s bizarre that Nintendo wouldn’t just treat the Switch 2 version as a complete edition of the game and bundle the DLC with it. It’d certainly make it a more attractive offer to those who missed out on the original game, especially when there’s already outrage over how much Switch 2 games cost to begin with.
For better or worse, sequel Tears Of The Kingdom doesn’t have any DLC, so at least you know you’re getting everything with that.
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