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How Long Does it Really Take to Beat Breath of the Wild?

So, you’re diving into the vast and breathtaking world of Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Excellent choice! But naturally, one of the first questions that pops into any gamer’s mind is: “How long am I going to be spending in this world?”

The answer, like Hyrule itself, is vast and varied. However, to give you a straight answer, the average player focusing on the main story objectives can expect to beat Breath of the Wild in around 50 hours. Now, let’s delve deeper, because that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The Hyrule Timescale: Breaking Down Completion Times

That 50-hour figure represents a relatively streamlined playthrough. You’ll hit the essential story beats, tackle the Divine Beasts, and ultimately face Ganon. But Breath of the Wild is so much more than just its core narrative. Its true strength lies in its freedom, exploration, and sheer wealth of side content.

Main Story Only (Speedrun style): A truly dedicated speedrunner can obliterate Ganon in under 25 minutes, exploiting glitches and optimizing every movement. This isn’t your typical playthrough, though.
Main Story + Some Exploration: For a more relaxed experience, perhaps tackling a handful of shrines and side quests along the way, expect to spend anywhere from 60 to 80 hours.
Completionist Run (100%): This is where things get serious. Achieving true 100% completion in Breath of the Wild involves conquering all 120 shrines, finding all 900 Korok seeds, completing all side quests, discovering every location on the map, upgrading all armor, and filling the Hyrule Compendium. This can easily take upwards of 150-250 hours, or even more depending on your playstyle and efficiency. Some players can spend close to 300 hours or more, meticulously charting every corner of Hyrule.
The “Average” 100% Player: The original article suggests around 100-140 hours, but most reviews and forum posts will likely reveal that’s not the average. Getting to 100% completion can easily take 200 hours for the average player.

The beauty of Breath of the Wild is that there is no wrong way to play. You define your own experience and set your own goals.

Factors Influencing Your Playtime

Several factors can significantly impact how long it takes you to beat Breath of the Wild:

Your Playstyle: Are you a meticulous explorer, or do you prefer to focus on the main objectives? Do you meticulously hunt down every collectible, or do you prefer to let them come naturally?
Your Skill Level: Experienced gamers with a knack for puzzles and combat will naturally progress faster than newcomers to the Zelda franchise.
Your Difficulty Preference: While the base game doesn’t offer traditional difficulty settings, you can indirectly increase the challenge by limiting your use of fast travel or restricting yourself to certain weapons.
Your Knowledge of the Game: First-time players will inevitably spend more time experimenting and learning the game’s mechanics than those who are familiar with Hyrule.