Breath of the Wild fans are giving the game a Second Wind with a mod the size of an official DLC expansion, full of brand new content and system overhauls.
With 900 Korok seeds to find, 120 shrines to defeat, and 76 side quests to take on, Breath of the Wild seems like a game full of endless mysteries that will keep you grinding for 100% completion forever. That hasn’t stopped the game getting various mods since its release. However, possibly the most ambitious mod yet is currently in the works.
The aptly named Second Wind will have the scope of an official DLC expansion, aiming to add all new characters, side-quests, and bosses. With fans still awaiting the release date of Breath of the Wild’s sequel with great anticipation (fuelled further by rumours of a 4k OLED Switch coming later this year), this unofficial extension could breathe some new life into the existing game and keep players occupied while they wait.
The mod’s creators took to Discord to describe the project as “a large-scale expansion for Breath of the Wild that aims to add new content to the game in a similar way to official DLCs”. They also claim the mod will go even further by providing bug fixes, overhauls and new elements to the gameplay.
The expansion is currently set to include a whole range of additions to the game, including 15 side quests, 8 new areas, 28 animals, 20 NPCs, and dozens of new weapons and enemies. Several specific tweaks will also be made, from adjusting each shrine to feel more unique, to adding more detail to bow quivers.
The mod also features a complete overhaul of the shop system and the introduction of a brand new martial arts combat system. It also reportedly incorporates elements from other mods, adjusting mechanics like crafting and horse riding, as well as from previous games, such as masks from Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.
Unfortunately, not just anyone can get their hands on this new expansion. Second Wind is compatible with the CEMU Wii U PC emulator, but you’ll also need the Breath of the Wild Cross-platform Mod Loader for it to work.
The mod is still in development, currently sitting at about 60% completion, with a team of over 50 people contributing. However, beta versions are already being shared on the project’s Discord server and plenty of gameplay footage is available.
Unfortunately, at the moment Second Wind is only being developed for the Wii U version of the game, but a Switch version could be on the horizon afterwards. That being said, you’ll still only be able to get it via emulation on a hacked console, so don’t expect to ever get this content with Nintendo’s blessing.
If you’re still itching for some extra Zelda content, you can always grab the game’s official Expansion Pass, which is available for both the Wii U and Switch versions. The expansion includes two DLC packs – The Master Trials features a new ‘Trial of the Sword’ challenge, Hero’s Path mode, Master mode, a travel medallion and new armour, while The Champions’ Ballad offers a new quest, extra armour, ancient horse tack, and Link’s Master Cycle Zero motorbike.
For those who just can’t get enough of Hyrule, but aren’t about to try hacking their console, Waikuteru has plenty of gameplay videos on YouTube to peruse until the Breath of the Wild sequel is released.
