Does BOTW Have New Game Plus: What Happens After You Finish

Completing the massive adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a monumental achievement for many players. After defeating Calamity Ganon and watching the credits roll, gamers often wonder if they can carry their hard-earned equipment into a brand new journey. Understanding how the game handles post-game progression helps players decide what to do next in the land of Hyrule.

Does Breath of the Wild Offer New Game Plus?

Official support for a standard New Game Plus mode is absent from Breath of the Wild. Unlike traditional role-playing games, you cannot restart the main story while retaining your inventory, upgraded armor, heart containers, or stamina upgrades. Every standard new file forces Link to start completely from scratch on the Great Plateau.

Players looking for higher difficulty can try Master Mode if they own the expansion pack DLC. While Master Mode increases enemy difficulty and adds floating platforms, it functions as a separate save file rather than a true New Game Plus. You still begin the campaign with no gear or stats carried over from your original save.

What Happens Immediately After You Finish the Game?

When you beat Calamity Ganon, the game does not create an endless open-world state where Ganon remains permanently defeated. Instead, loading your completed save file returns Link to the entrance of Hyrule Castle right before the final battle. However, your save profile will now feature a small star icon to mark your victory.

Defeating the final boss unlocks several completionist features across the map. You gain access to Map Completion percentages, quest tracking counters, and special star badges awarded by Kilton for slaying world bosses. This setup allows you to continue exploring Hyrule without losing access to the castle's final encounter.

Unlocking Post-Game Content and Completion Tracker

Once the star icon appears on your save file, the Sheikah Slate map displays a total completion percentage in the bottom corner. This percentage tracks your discovery of Korok seeds, shrines, locations, and Divine Beasts across the entire map. It offers a clear metric for completionists aiming to fully explore every corner of the world.

Kilton the monster shopkeeper also offers a unique post-game challenge for dedicated heroes. He asks Link to defeat every Molduga, Stone Talus, and Hinox located throughout Hyrule. Completing these challenges earns you special trophies that acknowledge your dominance over the realm's fiercest creatures.

Alternative Ways to Enjoy a Second Playthrough

Although an official carry-over mode does not exist, players can start a fresh adventure using a different Switch profile to preserve their original save file. Starting anew allows you to experience the story with prior knowledge of puzzle mechanics and combat techniques. Taking a different exploration route can make the kingdom feel completely fresh on a second playthrough.

Community members have also discovered intricate exploits like the Memory Storage glitch to transfer select weapons to new files. However, playing the game naturally through Master Mode remains the intended route for experienced players seeking a tougher challenge. Either way, Hyrule offers endless opportunities for creative exploration long after the credits roll.