A demo event for the Switch 2 was only meant to give fans a taste of the upcoming hardware and its launch lineup, including the next-gen version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But one Nintendo diehard took that opportunity and used it to roll credits on the game by finishing the final boss fight in under 10 minutes as naked Link.
The feat was managed by YouTuber Ikaboze, who shared footage of the showdown over the weekend (via Nintendeal). The demo event only allowed fans 10 minutes to play Breath of the Wild in docked mode, but they could choose from a range of save files located at different points in the game. Naturally, Ikaboze chose the one near the very end of the game, ditched all of Link’s gear, and marched on Hyrule Castle to defeat Ganon.
The end of Breath of the Wild can be a brutal gauntlet, but Ikaboze is able to traverse the castle quickly to get inside, dodging the army of Guardians waiting to blast him into oblivion. Once he’s inside the Calamity Ganon, the fight ends up taking less than two minutes, thanks to clutch timing and rush attacks. The final phase outside in Hyrule field takes a bit longer, but the Zelda YouTuber still manages to dispatch Dark Beast Ganon in just three minutes. He takes barely any damage during the fight. A crowd that gathered behind Ikaboze cheered when he hit the ending cinematic.
This could put Ikaboze in the running for being the first person to ever beat Calamity Ganon in the Switch 2 version of Breath of the Wild. At less than seven minutes for the entire final mission, he probably at least holds the record for getting it done the quickest until the new console launches in June. He mentions that the load times are a lot faster, with the final fights happening almost instantly compared to the current Switch version. Load times are reportedly about 35 percent faster on average across.
It’s one of the many benefits that will make Breath of the Wild a $70 game on Switch 2, though existing owners can pay just $10 to upgrade or access the next-gen version free with a paid Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription ($50 a year). Some fans are worried that the next-gen upgrade might nuke some existing glitches players have been using to speedrun the game these last eight years. The last time the open world adventure was actually updated was August 2017. We’ll see what the game’s legendary stunt masters make of the refresh when it arrives in less than two months.
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