As excitement builds around the Nintendo Switch 2 and its launch titles, fans are also expressing growing frustration about the costs associated with revisiting older games on the new console. One of the more surprising revelations is that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, despite being released in a special enhanced edition for the upcoming system, will not include the Expansion Pass DLC by default. For players who haven’t already purchased that content, it means tacking on an extra $20 to the total price if they want the full experience.
For longtime fans of the game, this might not seem like a huge surprise—but the situation is more complicated than it initially appears. Since Nintendo announced how certain titles would function on the Switch 2, there’s been a lot of confusion about exactly what you get depending on your ownership history. If you already own Breath of the Wild and its DLC on the original Nintendo Switch, you’ll still be able to access both on the new console. Your current purchases will carry over just fine, no extra payment needed.
However, a new, upgraded version of the game is being released specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2. This enhanced edition includes sharper graphics, improved performance, achievements, and support for a new online feature called “Zelda Notes” available through the Nintendo Switch Online app. These improvements don’t come free to existing owners of the base game—they’ll need to buy an upgrade pack for $10 to access the enhancements. It’s a small price for a visual and technical boost, but it does mean additional spending.
The real complication arises for those who don’t own Breath of the Wild at all yet and plan to jump in fresh with the new system. They’ll be able to purchase the enhanced edition outright for $70, which is $10 more than the original game’s launch price. While this seems to account for the upgrade pack being included, it still doesn’t cover the Expansion Pass. That DLC content remains a separate $20 purchase. Altogether, a new player would need to spend $90 to enjoy the complete, upgraded version of Breath of the Wild on the Switch 2—something that has sparked a fair amount of debate within the gaming community.
While Nintendo’s decision reflects what existing players have already spent over time, it does raise eyebrows given how other publishers often approach re-releases of older games. Many enhanced editions or remasters tend to bundle in all previously released content to offer better value, especially when the game in question is nearly a decade old. In this case, asking newcomers to pay nearly $100 for a game that originally launched in 2017—first on the Wii U, no less—strikes many as excessive.
Especially now, when game prices are trending higher than ever, and the Nintendo Switch 2 itself is expected to launch at a significant price point—possibly $450 or more depending on the final hardware configuration and how international tariffs impact distribution—the additional costs for individual games are under much greater scrutiny. With other titles, like the next Mario Kart, reportedly pushing the $80 mark, there’s an understandable concern among fans that enjoying Nintendo’s most celebrated franchises could come with a hefty financial burden.
That said, it’s possible that this pricing won’t affect a majority of players. Breath of the Wild has already sold incredibly well since its original release, and many potential Switch 2 buyers are likely already owners of the base game and possibly even the DLC. But for those who have waited to experience Breath of the Wild on a newer, more powerful console—or who plan to dive in for the first time alongside Tears of the Kingdom—they’ll want to be aware that the full version of the game will cost significantly more than expected.
