Pricing has been a controversial topic following last week’s Nintendo Switch 2 reveal. Whether you’re talking the announced $450 base model, the $80 price tag of Mario Kart World, or even the $10 the company wants players to spend on tech demo/instruction manual Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, many have expressed frustration and disappointment with Nintendo’s pricing strategy coming off the heels of the wildly successful and often more affordable Nintendo Switch. And that’s before the Trump administration’s tariffs postponed US and Canada preorders as Nintendo contemplated raising the price further.
One of the more consumer-friendly announcements came in the form of how Nintendo is handling the upgrades for the two Switch entries in the Legend of Zelda franchise, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. If you already own those games, you can upgrade to the Switch 2 version, which adds improved framerate and resolution, as well as access to the new Zelda Notes app functionality, which offers additional lore in the form of voice memos, the ability to send items and Ultrahand blueprints to friends, and a voiced GPS system. Even better, Nintendo offers the updates at no additional cost for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. However, we learned this week that the upgraded version of Breath of the Wild does not include the downloadable content.
Originally reported by IGN, Game Informer obtained a statement from a Nintendo spokesperson confirming this news. “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition does not include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass DLC,” the statement said. “That DLC is available as a separate purchase.”
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass DLC arrived in two parts spread across 2017: The Master Trials and The Champions’ Ballad. The Master Trials allows Link to participate in the Trial of the Sword, a combat-based gauntlet where he must take down waves of enemies. As he clears the three trials, he bolsters the Master Sword’s attack strength. The second part, The Champions’ Ballad, adds a new dungeon, more story content, and the most difficult boss battle in the game. If you complete this DLC, you earn Master Cycle Zero, a motorcycle that Link can ride around Hyrule.
The expectation that the downloadable content would be included with the upgraded edition likely stems from the industry-wide trend where new-gen versions of older games are released as “definitive editions,” consisting of both a remastered version of the game and all the content that came out for said title. With Breath of the Wild more than eight years old, it would stand to reason that Nintendo could make the Switch 2 version follow that philosophy, but it would make for a tricky pricing structure when the Expansion Pass is $20 and the upgrade to the Switch 2 version is $10. This also further highlights the fact that Nintendo’s first-party games rarely go on sale, even when they’re nearly a decade old.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched on Switch and Wii U in 2017 to widespread critical acclaim. It earned a 10 out of 10 from Game Informer and went on to claim the outlet’s Game of the Year award in 2017.
Do you think it’s reasonable that the downloadable content isn’t included with the Switch 2 version of Breath of the Wild? Will you be upgrading your copy of Breath of the Wild to its Nintendo Switch 2 version? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!
