The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a 2017 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U consoles. The game is an installment of The Legend of Zelda series and is set at the end of its timeline. The player controls an amnesiac Link, who awakens from a hundred-year slumber, and attempts to regain his memories and prevent the destruction of Hyrule by Calamity Ganon.
Similar to the original 1986 Legend of Zelda, players are given minimal instruction and can explore the open world freely. Tasks include collecting various items and gear to aid in objectives such as puzzle-solving or side quests. The world features minimal structure and is designed to encourage exploration and experimentation, and the main story quest can be completed in a nonlinear fashion.
Development of Breath of the Wild took place over five years, following the responses from some fans who wanted a larger game world to explore. Wanting to rethink the conventions of the series, Nintendo introduced elements such as detailed chemistry and physics engines. Monolith Soft, known for their work on the open world Xenoblade Chronicles series, assisted in designing landscapes and topography. The game was originally planned for release in 2015 as a Wii U exclusive but was delayed twice. Released on March 3, 2017, Breath of the Wild was a launch game for the Nintendo Switch and the final Nintendo-published game for the Wii U. Two waves of downloadable content were released in 2017 via an expansion pass.
Breath of the Wild received universal acclaim for its open-ended gameplay and attention to detail. Critics called it a landmark in open world game design, although it received minor criticism for its technical performance at launch. It won several game of the year awards and has since been cited as one of the greatest video games of all time. Breath of the Wild is also the top selling game in the series and one of the best-selling video games of all time, selling over 28 million copies by 2022. A spin-off, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, was released in 2020. A sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, is set for release in 2023.
