Zelda: Breath of the Wild DLC: How It Transforms Your Hyrule Journey

Breath of the Wild Summary

Almost 30 years to the day after The Legend of Zelda‘s Western release, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildarrived as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch. Not only did the latest Zelda title instantly become the Switch’s killer app, it completely revolutionized The Legend of Zelda in a way not seen since Ocarina of Time on Nintendo 64. Taking the tried-and-true Zelda gameplay beloved by millions of fans and merging it with an open world rife with exploration proved to be a massive success for Nintendo. In a way, Breath of the Wild is the full realization of the sense of adventure and freedom afforded to players in 1987 with the original Legend of Zelda. 

The switch to an open-world format continues to be a perfect fit for the Zelda franchise under the careful guiding hand of series producer Eiji Aonuma. Breath of the Wild’s incredible success and reception led to a direct sequel in the form of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Tears have also been a resounding success for Nintendo, selling over 10 million units in just 3 days. Breath of the Wild has established a new open-world Zelda template that is now confirmed to be the new standard for the series moving forward.

Breath of the Wild DLC – The Master Trials and The Champions’ Ballad

Since its release, Breath of the Wild has received two separate DLC expansions. The first of these to arrive is The Master Trials DLC, released roughly 3 months after the main game in June 2017. The Master Trials is a 45-level combat dungeon that represents some of the best and most engaging combat challenges in the game. This 45-level arena restricts the use of outside weapons and items, forcing Link (and, by extension, the player) to rely on their skills and understanding of the game’s combat mechanics to be successful. The end reward makes the daunting challenge well worth the effort. The Master Trials is part of the included content in the Breath of the WildExpansion Pass, retailing for $19.99 USD.

The second DLC expansion for BotW is The Champions’ Ballad. In this downloadable adventure, Link must retrace the steps of the four Hyrule Champions to obtain special items and equipment that will help him destroy Calamity Ganon. Additionally, players who complete each of the Champions’ challenges unlock the Master Cycle. With the Master Cycle, players can summon one of the best traversal options in the game at a whim and use it to cruise Hyrule in style. The Champions’ Ballad is also part of the Expansion Pass, retailing for $19.99 USD.

Breath of the Wild DLC Checklist

Purchasing Breath of the Wild‘s Expansion Pass grants access to both of the game’s DLC expansions. Each expansion provides plenty of new content for players to dive into. Notably, players can engage with the DLC either before or after beating Calamity Ganon and continuing their adventure in Hyrule. Contents of both The Master Trials and The Champions’ Ballad DLC include:

Bonus Content Awarded at Purchase

• Three bonus chests on the Great Plateau
  – One chest outside the Oman Au Shrine (Contains a Ruby)
  – One chest on the wall by the Ja Baij Shrine (Contains a Nintendo Switch Shirt)
  – One chest in the collapsed wall behind the Keh Namut Shrine (Contains 5 Bomb Arrows)

The Master Trials DLC Content

• Trial of the Sword – A 45-level gauntlet-style challenge that requires Link to use only what’s inside the arena. Completion of the Trials awards a fully-powered Master Sword that always remains at power level 60.
• Master Mode – Similar to Hero Mode from previous Zelda titles. Link must face off against more numerous and stronger enemies. Additionally, there are new airborne enemies that can catch Link unaware and new gold variants of certain enemy types.
• Hero’s Path Mode – This new feature tracks the players’ movements around Hyrule for the past 200 hours of gameplay. The Hero’s Path is marked with a green line on the in-game map.
• New Masks and Armor
  – Tingle’s Outfit – Makes Link appear as Tingle the Fairy. Increases running speed at night.
  – Majora’s Mask – The iconic mask from the classic Nintendo 64 Zelda returns. Makes weaker enemies friendly to Link.
  – Korok Mask – Wearing this mask will alert Link to any nearby Korok Seeds. Aids with collecting the game’s 900 Korok Seeds.
• Travel Medallion – Link can use this medallion to mark any point on the map as a new Fast Travel location.

The Champions’ Ballad DLC Content

• The Champions’ Ballad Story Quest – A trek through the legendary deeds of the four Hyrule Champions. Completing these new quests rewards the Master Cycle, a Shiekah-constructed motorcycle Link can use to traverse Hyrule.
• New Masks and Armor
  – Ravio’s Hood – Increases sideways climbing speed
  – Zant’s Helmet – Makes Link unfreezable
  – Phantom Ganon Armor – Increases Link’s stealth
  – Royal Guard Armor – Fully upgraded, this is some of the best armor in the game in terms of its Stamina and Defense bonuses
• New Horse Armor
  – Ancient Bridle – Adds 2 extra Stamina to your horse while wearing
  – Ancient Saddle – Allows Link to call the horse wearing it to his side from anywhere on the map

Is Breath of the Wild’s DLC Worth It?

Considering how much content is on offer (as well as the quality of that content), the DLC for Breath of the Wild is a must-buy for fans of the game. The Trials of the Sword represent some of the best combat encounters in the entire game. Further, the Master Cycle is an essential tool for traversal around Hyrule. After using it just once, you’ll wonder how you ever got around without it. The Champions’ Ballad quests are also fantastic and provide some interesting expansion to the game’s lore. These missions also happen to culminate in a dungeon that is more akin to what one would find in classic Zelda. Considering that both DLC are part of the Expansion Pass for a very reasonable $19.99 USD, these expansions are absolutely worth your time and money.

Breath of the Wild DLC Tips and Tricks

Each of the major components to the Breath of the Wild DLC are accessed in different ways. While they can be completed either before or after beating Calamity Ganon, there are some prerequisites for players to accomplish before accessing either expansion’s content.

Accessing Trials of the Sword

• Link must already have the Master Sword (and the 13 Heart Containers necessary to acquire it)
• With the Master Sword in Link’s posession, head back to the stone pedastal in the Lost Woods where the sword was embedded. Interacting with the resting place of the sword will allow Link to begin the Trials.

Tips for Trials of the Sword

• Link will begin the Trials with no equipment other than the Shiekah Slate
• Link can’t use Champion’s Blessings during the Trials
• There are no checkpoints and saving is not allowed
• Thre are rest points every 5 or 6 floors, including Fairy Fountains and Cooking Pots. It is recommended to collect materials at these rest points to stock up for the next waves.
• Enemies do not drop anything other than weapons and Link cannot cook elixers from harvested parts.
• Any loot acquired during the Trials does not carry over to the main game.

Acessing The Champions’ Ballad

• Other than downloading and installing the DLC, players must first have beaten all of the Divine Beasts.
• With all Divine Beasts defeated, head to the Great Plateau to begin a trial using the One-Hit Obliterator.
• Completing the trial will raise 4 Stone Monuments across Hyrule. Interacting with the Monuments will unlock new shrines.
• Conquering the new shrines will allow Link to enter the Divine Beasts again, unlocking memories of each Champion in the process.
• Collecting each of the Champions’ memories reveals a final culminating dungeon.