You'll Still Be Playing As Link In Zelda: Breath Of The Wild's Next DLC Pack

All about the lobsters!

This is looking to be far more than I first thought about the DLC. Proper story telling makes me very excited about what the DLC will turn out like.

I think we are in for a treat with this DLC. Who knows what they will throw at us

Yay! Where is that area in the snow? See the orange glow on the left, is that a new Shrine or one already in the game undiscovered? Or is it undiscovered because this Champions Ballad side story takes place prior to the main story and so Link is the only one who can activate them later with the Shiekah Slate?

Edit: I think I know where that is, goes off to check.

Edit 2: It's the path leading up to the Flight Range, Zelda's on her way to meet Revali. And it's an existing shrine.

Omg! Hype! I'm so excited for pack 2. Don't know if I'm happy or not seeing this footage tho as I don't think it helped quench my hype yet I don't think I would have chosen not to see it either! XD

Part of me was hoping to control Zelda for at least some of this one, but oh well. I'll gladly settle for more story, and I'm excited about the extra dungeon!

This fascinates me. It'll be neat to try a post-game scenario in a Zelda game for once.

I'm fine with LInk, I think if you could be someone else it would mess up the entire story and even most of the side quests.

Have no problem still playing as Link. I just hope there's a good amount of play time in the story DLC since that's what I'll be dropping the $20 on the expansion pass for.

I'm cool as long as we get some proper backstory on the other champions.

Was hopeing it would be set in the past 😥

Good news. Wouldnt really want to be that princess. Though i believed it would be the case. And yey for the lobster shirt.

I hope the dlc is more than just the same titan formula only with a titan suited for link.

Thats nice and all... but when is Link gonna wear a mario suit?

I remember him saying the second DLC would "defy everyone's expectations" or something along that. I think we were all expecting to get to play as Zelda, so now we get to play as Link again.

Sounds cool. I was a bit disappointed the game initially didn't really have a true after game scenario where the characters and world responded to the defeat of Calamity Ganon

the new story bit would be good if at the end of it Hyrule and all the ruins about the place were brought back to their splendor and all the places were teeming with life, think that would be a good end for an incredible map, plus with people about and new buildings and the like plenty of room for extra dlc's (me personally just want the place done up, shirley!! with ganon gone its time to get the land back to its best, loved walking round Hyrule market in Ocarina of time, would be great to something similar in BotW
it might be a WILD proposition so dont hold your BREATH

Can't wait for this but I am hoping it's dungeon is far more substantial than the slightly disappointing Divine beasts. Actually just started the game again and I'm enjoying it far more the second time now that I'm not rushing to see the story

I was really hoping it'd be set in castle town before it was destroyed.

Wanted post-game so that's good. Hope that the hyrule you're in when you've completed the DLC is fundamentally different and there's more stuff to do in a post game environment and the save doesn't refer back to pre-Ganon battle as is at the moment

@Pupito Yes plz! There is a feeling I get when playing this game that only MMOs like WoW have been able to create. It really feels so big and alive that it would be a shame to just leave it be and move on to a sequel. Rebuilding Hyrule castle and other ruins throughout the land would be amazing. Cant wait!

Thought they'd finally let their toys-to-life amiibo toys actually be toys-to-life and you'd get to play as the 4 Champions w/ the amiibo, but I suppose that would involve them making more than a dozen of each model.

Maybe the 4 Champions could play at your side like Wolf Link if you buy their amiibo? $15 amiibo should do something other than look good.

Would be nice if this turns out to be some real nice DLC like Witcher 3 got, the 2 stories for FFXV - Gladiolus and Prompto - were a bit short. Prompto did at least get to do side quests.

Already paid for it, nothing to do now but wait I guess.

@Pupito You hope this dlc is as long as the original game? One new dungeon and some story. That's what it will be from all indications, not a big sprawling "second quest". Best to keep expectations in check!

As for the idea of keeping it going as a sort of platform that could be good. Would be fun to have an entire second quest, for sure. A completely different structure with sparser areas getting all the attention built up with some completely new goals.

I'd say, next summer, they will release DLC Pack 3 and we'll get to play as Zelda in that.

It would also help people go back to the game, and maybe more sales of the base game a year later?

Gimme gimme

"Ganon's defeat"?? Spoiler alert!

@readyletsgo If I was forced to play as a princess I would be so pissed. Link 4 life.

@Shadowsaint why?

Brilliant! As soon as I saw the proper story ending I thought it would take this direction. Hopefully the first quest is to defeat Ganon again, then it flows from there, rebuilding Hyrule after 100 years of decay.

Planning to complete the game again in Master mode, then play the Winter DLC in that. That is, if I'm up to it.

@faint I am one of "those" men that prefer to stick with role playing as a male and who also grows very attached to whatever character I'm playing and also prefers the type of dlc that simply expands upon what I already love about whatever game it is without throwing a "monkey wrench" into the equation. Bottom line? I like link, I've spent 100's of hours as link and don't want play 10-20 as a princess or another character because I feel it fractures the cumulative experience. For example, love witcher 3 dlc, hate ffXiv's. But that's just my preference so I understand they're people who dig that. Hard to please everyone I guess. Another example would be Wildlands, instead of just adding all that dlc into the core experience they broke each one off into its own little contained game. Nothing carries over. Rockstar has done this in the past and I will admit I was ok with it but those actually felt like seperate games because rockstar just knows how to.....rock. I would have killed for some single player gta5 dlc.

@readyletsgo
I'd honestly rather get a spinoff where you play as Zelda. Not some insignificant spinoff, though, maybe one about the original princess, there'd be plenty of potential and it's much better than another DLC.

Great, now I have to buy the dlc for the lobster shirt.

Dang, there goes my hope for it being a prequel story where you play through as the four champions 100 years ago, getting to see the rest of the story of what happened. Still, this could be good, I just dunno what's left exciting to say after Ganon is vanquished, like yeah stuff needs rebuilding but that's not particularly interesting, theoretically with Ganon's demise all his monster are gone too and Hyrule is peaceful... and even if they don't just poof and disappear, they can't be brought back by a blood moon, so they can easily be dispatched (if it puts you back in Hyrule freely how would enemies respawn now?

There seems to be conflicting reports out there (or just not having all the info). I am reading in other places (well one really. IGN) that it is a prequel.

I swore that I read somewhere that the dlc was before the battle with Clamity Ganon 100 years ago not post battle. I wonder how this will work out since this is called the champions ballad dlc are the champions gonna be seen in cutscenes only again or are there spirits gonna be involved some how in the rebuilding of Hyrule. I'm looking forward to the new story and dungeon for sure but I'm not gonna lie, I was looking forward to finding out more details of the battle 100 years ago that destroyed Hyrule and killed the champions since you just know the bare facts not anything in depth from the cutscenes that were shown. That said any new Zelda BOTW content I'm totally excited for and cannot wait. 🤘🤘

I really hope that Zelda this time around is simply being used as a way to develop the champions more as characters and not the other way around. One of the things that left me disappointed by the memories is that Zelda got very good character development and the rest of the champions barely got any at all and ended up feeling like flat character archetypes. I REALLY want the champions to be developed this time because that was one of the weaker parts of the story for me.

@Oat I thought Urbosa had some nice developments. Actually, maybe it was partly due to the Gerudo getting some great development as a whole that contributed to that. But I loved the way she described Ganon in relation to Gerudo (as "her people's shame"). It was a great way to tie it all back to OoT and really giving her a real stake in defeating him

@rjejr Nintendo clearly wants the focus on the SNES Mini, not amiibo. After all, the former can be scalped for a much higher price! (during the holiday season the cheapest you'll be able to find it is $300 on ebay )

@aaronsullivan a second quest could just be re-arranging of existing content on the same map if you go by the original LOZ.

@UmbreonsPapa I liked that line too, but for me one line is not really enough to make up for very little development as a whole. You really only get a few scenes with her and only learn that she's a proud warrior with a bit of a caring/playful side.

@Grumblevolcano amiibo are the most harebrained scheme these days, Ninteod never really knew what to do w/ them, but now even they are off their own rails. amiibo seem to come out almost at random, no purpose. 6 SSB4 amiibo in 2 weeks, that game is 3 years old. Are they promoting them at all? I was sur ethey'd wait for SSB4D on Switch. 3 new Links, and they already have 6, so that makes Link in 9 different poses, some you can hardly tell apart. Hey! Pikmin is getting one, but it's for a 3DS game. I still can't tell if the US is getting the 6 MH Story amiibo. And if they don't will we get what they did in game? Did they do anything in game, I have no idea? Goomba and the Koopa Troopa for that 3DS game, but they look so boring. The 3 white Mario Odyssey amiibo at least seem to make sense and match up to a game release, but there are some others seemingly at random, makes me think no one is in control of amiibo over all.

Maybe next year when Kirby and Yoshi come out on Switch they'll regain focus, if they even work w/ amiibo, who knows, it's a mess.

Supercharge my ...

Yay...

I was originally a touch disappointed, since I had (perhaps unrealistic) hopes for playing as Zelda in the past, but upon reflection this does offer some very cool opportunities. I know many of us were hoping to see the rebuilding effort that occurs after Ganon's defeat, so that remains a possibility with this post-story campaign. Additionally, the focus on the Champions does offer the potential for greater development of them or, ideally for me, their descendants in the present.

@UmbreonsPapa Agreed on Urbosa - the Gerudo and Zora sections certainly had the most compelling present-day framing devices, and the Gerudo memories were among the best.

I still don't get why anyone would think otherwise. This The Legend of Zelda, so you always HAVE to play with Link. Otherwise the whole game would be pointless.
Usually I'm all for innovation, variety and changes to established routines. But this is not one of them.

I am hoping there is a pedestal of time to go back 100 years, to explore before the world went to ruin (like Ocarina)

After Ganon? Guess I'll need to get around to fighting him before getting this.

I know it doesn't make much difference, but I like to get everything before taking on the final boss. Along with the shrines and memories, I'm going for all the seeds and chests before stepping foot in the castle. Only like 700 seeds and who knows how many chests left. I'll use a map for chests once they become too sparse to find with the sensor.

Assumed it would be a prequel, but i'm happier about it being post-game

@SLIGEACH_EIRE The shrines don't activate unless the towers are activated with the Shiekah slate, which only worked when Link used it (chosen hero stuff). 100 years prior to the main story, all of the towers were still underground and the Shiekah Slate was unable to activate shrines because of this. We get to see a deactivated shrine in one of the memories, they lack the signature glow that they gain after the towers sprout.

Seems more like the DLC takes place right after BotW, with Zelda and Link making good on what Zelda said they were going to do in the secret ending. I'd also suspect that they're appointing new Champions since the Divine Beasts are beginning to shut down without the spirits of the deceased Champions to pilot them

@Damo I'm confused by when this will be taking place. I've read on a handful of sites that it'll fall after the finale of the main game, but I've seen just as many sites (ign being one of those) say that it will actually take place before the main campaign. And I can't find any original sources to back up either claim.

@SanderEvers Well both games weren't developed by Nintendo and they're also not canon (and for a good reason).
I knew someone would bring up HW. ^^ It's not even a Legend of Zelda game if you ask me. I got it on my Wii U and played it quite a lot with one of my friends (who doesn't even like Zelda games), it's anything but a Zelda game. If you take away the character models, it has nothing to to with the Legend of Zelda.

I wonder if this'll piggyback right onto the main game or if it'll be like a separate game you choose at the title screen. I'm guessing the latter. If so, I wonder if your stuff from the main game will carry over.

@Gerald I have thought about this also. It would make most sense to simply travel back in time via the Temple of time and play for 10,15,20 hours or so leading up to the final assault with each champion and maybe how they acquired the beasts to begin with. Maybe link assisted each champion in "taming" each beast so we could see a revamped Divine beast dungeons and then the final assault! Incentive to travel back and forth in time would also be cool and be good for replay value instead of one and done.

Oh sweet the lobster shirt! Can't wait for another non-upgradable low defense item that only increases my swimming speed, therefore making me go back to my Zora armor! Lol. I know, I might be being unfair...

Ballad of the Lobsters

@SLIGEACH_EIRE It says in the article that The Champion's Ballad takes place after the main story and Ganon's defeated.

My theory is Zelda is looking to either resurrect the Champions, or they are being prevented from moving on and she is trying to release them. As for costumes, I'd like to see Link's Faron outfit from Twilight Princess, his train conductor outfit from Spirit Tracks and maybe a few outfits for Zelda if she appears outside of cutscenes. Also, make them, and the pack 1 costumes, upgradable.

Would love to see a couple of outfits from triforce heroes as well

@UmbreonsPapa
I don't think any of the Zelda games have that.

Did we get confirmation that it takes place after you defeat Ganon? Because the first teaser suggests otherwise.

Goodbye to my expectations of playable Champions. Probably a Divine Beast set of harder quests/minigames involving each NPC and that's about it, more of the same reskinned enemies and areas with no groundbreaking gameplay twists.

I hope I'm wrong about everything said above and this DLC #3 shapes up to be worthy of a $20 purchase. So far it's almost an insult.

I really hope there's a way to bring them back to life but that's just my childish wish... Anyways I'm pretty happy that it happens after Ganon's defeat!

@Shadowsaint I was hoping to explore castle town, and other places like Lon Lon Ranch

I was also thinking for future content they could do previous Zelda stories in this Hyrule World, with all new Dungeons

@Lizuka I played through the game not upgrading anything. Oops!

I think Zelda will be designating the characters that helped Link enter the divine beasts as the new champions, and they could perhaps use their combined powers to unearth a fifth beast for Link to conquer and become a champion also.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE "The Champions Ballad is a story DLC focusing on Hyrule AFTER you’ve ended Ganons reign of tyranny."

"The Champion's Ballad takes place after Ganon's defeat in Breath of the Wild"

This may turn out to be some sort of prelude to the next Zelda game!

"Yay! Where is that area in the snow?"

Probably Agaat mountain. I believe its the only mountain with a name that you can't climb. Its also situated in the Gerudo region, if I am correct. The new stuff being on that mountain would make perfect sense!

Was hoping for a different playable character, but makes sense. If it's about the Champions, it'd be too much work to include all 4 as playable, and if you had to choose only 1-2 of those, someone's choice is not going to get picked. And, Zelda isn't a fighter in this version, so it kind of rules her out.

I didn't think for a second that it wouldn't be Link we'd be playing as in the DLC... it would just be far too complicated for them to add another playable character just for the DLC.

What I would question though is the part about it being set after Ganon's defeat... this could easily be a mis-translation/mis-interpretation... I think it's more likely that it'll be unlocked after you defeat Ganon, but still take place before defeating him (on a 'starred' save file).
Zelda games always allow you to resume just before fighting the boss so that you can easily go back to do other things before fighting them again, but if they continued the game after defeating Ganon, this wouldn't be possible (assuming it would use the same save file).
And if they did use a separate save file, then this would make it difficult for anything obtained in the main game/DLC to be carried over to the other, and it wouldn't make sense for you to swap back and forth between the two.