The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild is getting two expansion packs later this year and a season pass [Video]

Breath of the Wild is primed to set a new standard for Zelda titles with its massive open world, but Link’s latest adventure will also be treading new ground for the series in other ways as well. For the first time, Nintendo will be launching expansion packs and a season pass for a main Zelda title.

There will be two packs of additional content for the game launching throughout 2017 and you’ll need to buy the “Expansion Pass” to get them. The first bundle will include a “Cave of Trials challenge” similar to what we saw in Twilight Princess, a new hard mode and a “new feature for the in-game map.” The second bundle will be the more substantial of the two with a “new dungeon and a new original story.” This sucker will launch holiday 2017 after most of us have already gotten through the main story.

You can’t purchase these bundles separately at this point, you have to purchase the Expansion Pass, which will be available for both the Nintendo Switch and Wii U versions of the game for $19.99. Anyone who purchases or pre-purchases the Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass will get “three new treasure chests” that will appear in the Great Plateau area of the in-game map. One contains a silly Nintendo Switch shirt Link can wear throughout his adventure and the other two “deliver useful items”.

As exciting as it is to think there will be more content added to Breath of the Wild later this year, it does seem a bit weird Nintendo is charging for a hard mode and a Cave of Trials. Nonetheless, I for one will be very excited to get a completely new story come holiday 2017.

Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild releases March 3rd alongside Nintendo Switch. Amazon Prime members can pre-order Breath of the Wild right now for $47.99 shipped, but we are yet to see listings for the new Expansion Pass at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop or Walmart. More details below.

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Starting when The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launches on March 3, players will be able to purchase an Expansion Pass for $19.99, granting access to two new sets of downloadable content for the game when they become available later this year.

Immediately upon pre-purchase or purchase of the Expansion Pass, three new treasure chests will appear in the game’s Great Plateau area. One of these treasure chests will contain a shirt with a Nintendo Switch logo that Link can wear during his adventure, exclusive to the Expansion Pass. The other two will deliver useful items.

• The first content pack is scheduled to launch this summer and will include the addition of a Cave of Trials challenge, a new hard mode, and a new feature for the in-game map.
• The second content pack will launch in Holiday 2017, and adds new challenges that will let players enjoy a new dungeon and a new original story.

The Expansion Pass will be available for both the Nintendo Switch and Wii U versions of the game and are identical. Content packs cannot be purchased individually.

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