History VideoGame / TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild

->''"Open your eyes... Wake up, Link..."''

The game was released worldwide on March 3, 2017 as a dual release for the UsefulNotes/WiiU and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch consoles, serving as the last first-party game for the former and one of the launch titles for the latter, similarly to what ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' was for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube and the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}. Two [[DownloadableContent DLC]] packs, which require an Expansion Pass, were released in the same year. The first, "The Master Trials" (released on June 30th), focuses on adding new challenges and features to the game, such as the Trial of the Sword, a series of survival trials that unlocks permanent power boosts for the Master Sword, Hero's Path Mode, which tracks your movement for up to 200 hours of gameplay, and [[HarderThanHard Master Mode]], which cranks up the difficulty with much tougher enemies, including some exclusive to it. The second, "The Champions' Ballad" (released on December 7th during the [=VGAs=]), adds a new questline focused around the backstory of the Champions, Link's fallen comrades from a century before, featuring new trials that lead to a new dungeon revolving around a previously unseen fifth Divine Beast. The game also got a free update sidequest tying in with ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', granting Link an outfit based on the one Rex wears in that game, courtesy of Monolith Soft due to their studio juggling the development of both games at once. On April 25, 2019, the game was updated to support the [[VideoGame/NintendoLabo Labo VR Kit]], allowing the players to experience the full game with Nintendo's virtual reality solution.

The game opens with this latest incarnation of Link waking up from a deep sleep inside a dark chamber, beckoned by a mysterious voice. The voice tells him that Hyrule [[CallToAdventure needs its hero once more]]. Link receives a strange item called a Sheikah Slate, which serves as a guide to his quest, and steps out into the world with little more than the clothes on his back... which he had to find in some chests first.

The game opens with our latest incarnation of Link waking up from a deep sleep inside a dark chamber, beckoned by a mysterious voice. The voice tells him that Hyrule [[CallToAdventure needs its hero once more]]. Link receives a strange item called a Sheikah Slate, which serves as a guide to his quest, and steps out into the world with little more than the clothes on his back... which he had to find in some chests first.

The game opens with Link waking up from a deep sleep inside a dark chamber, beckoned by a mysterious voice. The voice tells him that Hyrule [[CallToAdventure needs its hero once more]]. Link receives a strange item called a Sheikah Slate, which serves as a guide to his quest, and steps out into the world with little more than the clothes on his back... which he had to find in some chests first.

The game opens with Link waking up from a deep sleep inside a dark chamber, beckoned by a mysterious voice. The voice tells him that Hyrule [[CallToAdventure needs its hero once more]]. Link receives a strange item called a Sheikah Slate, which serves as a guide to his quest, and steps out into the world with little more than the clothes on his back... which he had to find some chests first.

->I fulfilled my duty. May Goddess Hylia smile upon you…

The game was released worldwide on March 3, 2017 as a dual release for the UsefulNotes/WiiU and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch consoles, serving as the last first-party game for the former and one of the launch titles for the latter, similarly to what ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' was for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube and the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}. Two [[DownloadableContent DLC]] packs, which require an Expansion Pass, were released in the same year. The first, "The Master Trials" (released on June 30th), focuses on adding new gameplay challenges to the game, such as the Trial of the Sword, a series of survival trials that unlocks permanent power boosts for the Master Sword, Hero's Path Mode, which tracks your movement for up to 200 hours of gameplay, and [[HarderThanHard Master Mode]], which cranks up the difficulty with much tougher enemies, including some exclusive to it. The second, "The Champions' Ballad" (released on December 7th during the [=VGAs=]), adds a new questline focused around the backstory of the Champions, Link's fallen comrades from a century before, featuring new trials that lead to a new dungeon revolving around a previously unseen fifth Divine Beast. The game also got a free update sidequest tying in with ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', granting Link an outfit based on the one Rex wears in that game, courtesy of Monolith Soft due to their studio juggling the development of both games at once. On April 25, 2019, the game was updated to support the [[VideoGame/NintendoLabo Labo VR Kit]], allowing the players to experience the full game with Nintendo's virtual reality solution.

The game was released worldwide on March 3, 2017 as a dual release for the UsefulNotes/WiiU and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch consoles, serving as the last first-party game for the former and one of the launch titles for the latter, similarly to what ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' was for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube and the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}. Two [[DownloadableContent DLC]] packs, which require an Expansion Pass, were released in the same year. The first, "The Master Trials" (released on June 30th), focuses on adding new gameplay challenges to the game, such as the Trial of the Sword, a series of survival trials that unlocks permanent power boosts for the Master Sword, Hero's Path Mode, which tracks your movement for up to 200 hours of gameplay, and [[HarderThanHard Master Mode]], which cranks up the difficulty with much tougher enemies, including some exclusive to it. The second, "The Champions' Ballad" (released on December 7th during the [=VGAs=]), adds a new questline focused around the backstory of the Champions, Link's fallen comrades from a century before, featuring new trials that leads to a new dungeon revolving around a previously unseen fifth Divine Beast. The game also got a free update sidequest tying in with ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', granting Link an outfit based on the one Rex wears in that game, courtesy of Monolith Soft due to their studio juggling the development of both games at once. On April 25, 2019, the game was updated to support the [[VideoGame/NintendoLabo Labo VR Kit]], allowing the players to experience the full game with Nintendo's virtual reality solution.

A direct sequel to the game, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'' was announced on June 11, 2019 at [=E3=][[note]]Though it was unnamed until September 2022[[/note]], and released on the Switch on May 12, 2023. The game also has a 2020 HackAndSlash semi-prequel, ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity'', that takes place during the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt fall of the kingdom of Hyrule]] 100 years before ''Breath of the Wild''.

''The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'' is the 19th installment in Creator/{{Nintendo}}’s long-running ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series, as well as the 6th fully 3D installment, following ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword''.

The game was released worldwide on March 3, 2017 as a dual release for the UsefulNotes/WiiU and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch consoles, serving as the last first-party game for the former and one of the launch titles for the latter, similarly to what ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' was for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube and the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}. Two [[DownloadableContent DLC]] packs, which require an Expansion Pass, were released in the same year. The first, "The Master Trials" (released on June 30th), focuses on adding new gameplay challenges to the game, such as the Trial of the Sword, a series of survival trials that unlocks permanent power boosts for the Master Sword, Hero's Path Mode, which tracks your movement for up to 200 hours of gameplay, and [[HarderThanHard Master Mode]], which cranks up the difficulty with much tougher enemies, including some exclusive to it. The second, "The Champions' Ballad" (released on December 7th during the [=VGAs=]), adds a new questline focused around the backstory of the Champions, Link’s fallen comrades from a century before, featuring new trials that leads to a new dungeon revolving around a previously unseen fifth Divine Beast. The game also got a free update sidequest tying in with ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', granting Link an outfit based on the one Rex wears in that game, courtesy of Monolith Soft due to their studio juggling the development of both games at once. On April 25, 2019, the game was updated to support the [[VideoGame/NintendoLabo Labo VR Kit]], allowing the players to experience the full game with Nintendo's virtual reality solution.

The game was released worldwide on March 3, 2017 as a dual release for the UsefulNotes/WiiU and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch consoles, serving as the last first-party game for the former and one of the launch titles for the latter, similarly to what ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' was for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube and the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}. Two [[DownloadableContent DLC]] packs, which require an Expansion Pass, were released in the same year. The first, "The Master Trials" (released on June 30th), focuses on adding new gameplay challenges to the game, such as the Trial of the Sword, a series of survival trials that unlocks permanent power boosts for the Master Sword, Hero's Path Mode, which tracks your movement for up to 200 hours of gameplay, and [[HarderThanHard Master Mode]], which cranks up the difficulty with much tougher enemies, including some exclusive to it. The second, "The Champions' Ballad" (released on December 7th during the [=VGAs=]), adds a new questline focused around the backstory of Princess Zelda and the Champions, featuring new trials that leads to a new dungeon revolving around a previously unseen fifth Divine Beast. The game also got a free update sidequest tying in with ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', granting Link an outfit based on the one Rex wears in that game, courtesy of Monolith Soft due to their studio juggling the development of both games at once. On April 25, 2019, the game was updated to support the [[VideoGame/NintendoLabo Labo VR Kit]], allowing the players to experience the full game with Nintendo's virtual reality solution.

''The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'' is the 19th installment in Creator/Nintendo’s long-running ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series, as well as the 6th fully 3D installment, following ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword''.