Versions & DLC

    
                               

Hyrule Warriors came out three times: on Wii U in 2014, as Hyrule Warriors Legends on Nintendo 3DS in 2016, and as Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch in 2018. Each version kept almost everything from the one before and added more. If you're starting today, the Definitive Edition is the complete game, with every warrior, scenario, map and downloadable pack included.

Hyrule Warriors (Wii U, 2014)

The original, made by Koei Tecmo's Omega Force and Team Ninja and supervised by Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma. It came out in Japan on August 14th, 2014, and in the West that September. It launched with 13 warriors, Legend Mode, Free Mode, Adventure Mode and two-player co-op, with the second player on the GamePad. By January 2015 it had shipped a million copies.

Free updates added Challenge Mode and made Cia, Volga, Wizzro and later Medli playable. Paid packs added the rest:

  • Master Quest Pack: the five-scenario Cia's Tale, and the Master Quest Adventure Map.
  • Twilight Princess Pack: Twili Midna and the Twilight Map.
  • Majora's Mask Pack: Young Link, Tingle and the Termina Map.
  • Boss Pack: new Challenge Mode battles, including Ganon's Fury, where you play as Ganon.
  • Legends Character Pack: the five warriors introduced on 3DS: Linkle, Skull Kid, Toon Link, Tetra and King Daphnes. Owners of the 3DS game could also unlock them with a code.
  • Link's Awakening, Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks, and A Link Between Worlds Packs: Marin, Toon Zelda, Ravio and Yuga, each with a new Adventure Map. These were released for both the Wii U and 3DS games.

Hyrule Warriors Legends (3DS, 2016)

Released in Japan on January 21st, 2016, and in the West in late March. It includes Cia's Tale as standard and adds two new stories, Linkle's Tale and a Wind Waker saga, for 32 scenarios. It also introduced:

  • New Five new warriors: Linkle, Skull Kid, Toon Link, Tetra and King Daphnes, with more in downloadable packs.
  • New Switching warriors: in many battles you can tap another warrior's portrait to take control of them, and send the others to points on the map.
  • New Ocarina and Hammer items: the Ocarina warps you to Owl Statues on the map, and the Hammer is the weakness of the new Helmaroc King.
  • New My Fairy: raise fairy companions, dress them up and take them into Adventure Mode battles.
  • New Smash Boost: gather several warriors around a giant boss to refill their Magic Gauges and boost their attack.
  • Gone No multiplayer and no Challenge Mode, so Ganon's Fury and Cucco's Fury were dropped.

Stereoscopic 3D only works on the New Nintendo 3DS and New 3DS XL, which are powerful enough to run the game with it turned on.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (Switch, 2018)

Released in Japan on March 22nd, 2018, and in North America and Europe on May 18th, 2018. It combines everything from the Wii U and 3DS versions, including all the downloadable content, in HD.

  • New All 29 warriors in the base game. Those that were downloadable before are now won in Adventure Mode.
  • Changed Multiplayer is back: two-player split screen returns, and Challenge Mode is back too, Ganon's Fury included.
  • Changed Adventure Mode: every map is open from the start, each with its own difficulty, and an Item Card Shop sells the cards you need.
  • New Breath of the Wild costumes for Link and Zelda.
  • New Seven new multi-element weapons for weapon types that never had one, such as Medli's Rito Harp and Toon Zelda's Phantom Arms.
  • Changed Less grinding: levels 50 to 99 need half the experience, several Mixtures and skill costs are cheaper, and you can carry up to 20 of each weapon type instead of 10.
  • Changed 8-bit weapons from the Wii U version return as an optional look for your strongest weapons.

Which Should You Play?

  • Switch: the complete game with every warrior, scenario and map, and two-player co-op. The easiest to buy today, and the one our guides follow first.
  • 3DS: portable, with the new stories, but no multiplayer and no Challenge Mode. The Nintendo 3DS eShop closed in 2023, so its packs can no longer be bought.
  • Wii U: the original. It has Challenge Mode and co-op, and with the packs it gets every warrior, but not Linkle's Tale or the Wind Waker story. The Wii U eShop also closed in 2023.