‘Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ is getting a season pass, two expansion packs

By Gabe Gurwin Published February 14, 2017

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is only a few weeks away, and we can’t wait to dive back into Nintendo’s amazing world and discover the secrets it holds. But Eiji Aonuma and his team are keeping a few secrets held back a little longer — Breath of the Wild is getting an “expansion pass” containing two new downloadable content packs.

Available on March 3 for $20 on both Switch and Wii U, the Breath of the Wild expansion pass contains two large pieces of content scheduled to arrive in the summer and this holiday season. The first will include the “Cave of Trials” challenge, as well as a harder difficulty and “a new feature for the in-game map.” The second expansion sounds more substantial, adding a dungeon and a “new original story.”

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“The world of Hyrule, which we created for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is so large and vibrant that we wanted to offer more for players to experience within it,” producer Aonuma said in the official announcement. “With this new expansion pass, we hope that fans will play, explore, and enjoy the game even more.”

Strangely, Nintendo has opted to not sell the different components of the expansion pass individually. The only way to acquire them is to purchase the pass for $20, which also contains additional treasure chests that are available immediately after purchase.

Though this is Nintendo’s first time experimenting with large, story-based downloadable content for the Zelda series, we’ve seen the company try out content updates several times during the Wii U’s lifespan. Splatoon and Super Mario Maker both improved significantly after launch via online updates, while Mario Kart 8 added a wealth of different characters from a variety of classic franchises.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is out on March 3 for Switch and Wii U.

Former Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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All stamp locations in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Key art for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

Every main Zelda game typically has one "big" sidequest. In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, these were finding the Koroks, for example. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom isn't nearly as large as those 3D open-world games, but it still has a sidequest that will take you to every corner of Hyrule if you want to complete it. This is, of course, Stamp Guy's stamp rally. This stamp enthusiast will give you various stamp cards that you need to fill by finding all the necessary stamps and returning them to him for rewards. Scavenger hunts are plenty fun on their own, but not if you get stumped anywhere along the way. Make sure you pack your best smoothie while we help you find every stamp in Echoes of Wisdom.
Where to find every stamp in Echoes of Wisdom
There are a total of 25 stamps to find, but they are divided into five groups of five for each card. Finishing each card will get you a reward, with the last one being the most special. Stamps are collected at Stamp Stands, which can be anywhere on the overworld, but will not be underwater or in caves or buildings. Technically, you can collect all the stamps in any order, but we will go in the rough order you would naturally come across them.
Stamp 1

The first stamp we found is in the Gerudo Desert, northwest of the Oasis between two stone towers.
Stamp 2

Gaming

I wish Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom had Breath of the Wild’s item degradation

Key art for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

I’ve been having a good time with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, but a glaring problem has reared its head just a few hours in. The user interface for sorting through Echoes leaves a lot to be desired. By the time I cleared my first few dungeons in Echoes of Wisdom, I already felt overwhelmed by the amount of Echoes available, and I didn’t have adequate ways to sort them. As a result, I'm already finding myself relying on the same couple of Echoes rather than experimenting with each new one I come across.

Echoes of Wisdom is at its best when I can use new Echoes, or a unique combination of them, to solve puzzles or navigate dungeons in clever ways. However, the clumsy UI and overwhelming number of options with Echoes sometimes get in the way of those glorious moments. That has left me yearning for a controversial feature present in both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: item degradation.
Weapon durability and degradation in 3D Zelda games
Breath of the Wild might not have featured an Echoes mechanic, but the game was still built around players exploring every inch of Hyrule and adapting to whatever they find. To encourage continued exploration and interaction, Nintendo introduced a weapon degradation mechanic. Common in survival games, this kind of durability mechanic makes tools or weapons break after a certain number of uses.

Gaming

The best accessories in Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Zelda getting a ring with a frog on it in Echoes of Wisdom.

Equipment has always been a core component of Legend of Zelda series, and Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is no exception. Unlike most past games, however, you won't be getting as many new unique items like bows and hookshots. Instead, you will use your Echoes to solve most problems, but there are a few other new ways to give Zelda an edge. Smoothies are great for temporary buffs, and the new clothing options can occasionally give you a small advantage, but it is the accessories that will make the biggest difference to your build.

These equipable items all have different benefits that range from somewhat useless or only needed in very specific instances, to the kind you will never want to remove. Even if you unlock all the extra slots, there's no way you can equip them all, so make sure you grab these accessories as soon as you can to save Hyrule with ease.
Best accessories in Echoes of Wisdom
There are about 28 accessories in Echoes of Wisdom, although a handful of them are upgraded versions of existing ones that completely replace the original version. In those cases, we will list the best version but tell you how to get the original and upgrade(s) so you can get the best version as fast as possible.
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