Anyone buying The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition will not be getting the fullest, most complete version of the game. Nintendo has now confirmed that the Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass DLC is not bundled in with the Switch 2 Edition release, whether phsyical, digital or upgrade, and will instead remain a separate purchase.
In a statement given to IGN, a Nintendo spokesperson said, “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. That DLC is available as a separate purchase.”
Pricing has been a major bone of contention around the Nintendo Switch 2 release, and this will be another sour note for the Switch 2 Editions of a small selection of games. These upgraded versions of games can bring technical improvements and added content, but are premium upgrades that start at $10 for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom – in contrast to free patches that will be made for other titles. The two Zelda games included will, however, have their Switch 2 Edition upgrades made available through Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
Breath of the Wild’s Switch 2 Edition brings improved resolution and performance, support for HDR, an a new Zelda Notes feature for Nintendo Switch smartphone app. Sticking with USD for simplicity, that brings a $10 price hike over the original release, whether both afresh as a $70 game, or with a $10 upgrade cost. The Expansion Pass is then a further $20 on top.
The Expansion Pass DLC for Breath of the Wild features two DLC packs: The Master Trials, which added some new game modes with the Trial of the Sword challenge, Master Mode difficulty, and the Hero’s Path feature, and The Champion’s Ballad, which added a new dungeon, story content, gear, additional challenges and the Master Cycle Zero motorbike.
Outside of a Japan-exclusive Expansion Pass edition of the game which added the DLC onto the game card, there’s no Game of the Year edition, so it is most straightforward to keep the Switch 2 Edition purely for the new console upgrade. Nintendo has been very strict to maintain the price of their games over the Switch generation, and any newcomers are really seeing and feeling that.
Elsewhere, Nintendo has clarified that physical Switch 2 Edition games will on Switch 2 cartridges and will not bundle a download code with an original Switch card.
Source: IGN
