what will happen to my breath of the iwld expansion pass after subscription ends
Short answer
If your Breath of the Wild “Expansion Pass” access is tied to a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription , then when the subscription ends you lose access to the subscription‑based benefits (like the free Switch 2 upgrade and any DLC that’s only included while subscribed). You don’t lose your base game or your save data , but anything that required the active subscription to play will be locked again until you resubscribe or buy it outright.
What “Expansion Pass” can mean here
There are two different things people mix up:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass (DLC)
- This is the paid DLC pack for BotW (Master Trials + Champions’ Ballad, extra armor, Master Mode, etc.).
- It’s normally a one‑time purchase tied to your Nintendo Account, not a subscription.
- If you bought this DLC directly , it stays yours forever , even if your Nintendo Switch Online subscription ends.
- Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership
- This is a subscription service that, among other things, has included:
- Access to certain classic games
- In some regions/promotions, free Switch 2 upgrades for BotW and Tears of the Kingdom for subscribers
- Content you get only because you’re subscribed works like a rental:
- Active subscription → you can use it
- Subscription lapses → you lose access until you renew or buy separately
- This is a subscription service that, among other things, has included:
Recent forum discussions specifically about the BotW Switch 2 upgrade say: if you got it free via NSO + Expansion Pack , you lose access when the subscription ends ; if you bought the Switch 2 edition/upgrade separately , it’s yours permanently.
So what actually happens when your subscription ends?
Assuming your “Expansion Pass” access is through NSO + Expansion Pack :
- Base game (BotW)
- If you own the game normally (disc or digital purchase), you keep it.
- If the base game itself was only accessible via a subscription catalog (e.g., a “free” NSO game), then that base access also ends with the subscription.
- BotW DLC / Expansion Pass content
- If your DLC access is part of the subscription benefit (e.g., included while subscribed, or the Switch 2 upgrade that relies on the sub), then:
- When the subscription ends, the system will lock that DLC/upgrade.
- You’ll effectively be back to the base version of the game you own.
- Your save data remains intact , but you can’t use features or areas that require the DLC/upgrade until you resubscribe or purchase.
- If your DLC access is part of the subscription benefit (e.g., included while subscribed, or the Switch 2 upgrade that relies on the sub), then:
- Switch 2 upgrade / performance enhancements
- If you got the Switch 2 edition upgrade for free via NSO + Expansion Pack , forum posts indicate it behaves like other subscription content:
- Subscription active → you can play the enhanced version.
- Subscription ends → you lose access to that enhanced version unless you buy it.
- If you got the Switch 2 edition upgrade for free via NSO + Expansion Pack , forum posts indicate it behaves like other subscription content:
How to check your exact situation
On your Switch/Switch 2:
- Go to Nintendo eShop → your account icon → Redownload / Your Subscriptions.
- Look for:
- A line item like “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass” purchased as a one‑time purchase → that’s yours permanently.
- Or a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership with BotW content listed under subscription benefits → that’s tied to the sub and will end with it.
If you see the Expansion Pass as a separate paid product in your purchase history, your DLC won’t disappear when the subscription ends. If it only shows up under subscription benefits , then it will.
Bottom line / TL;DR
- Bought the BotW Expansion Pass DLC directly? → It’s yours forever; subscription ending doesn’t remove it.
- Getting BotW DLC / Switch 2 upgrade only because of NSO + Expansion Pack? → When the subscription ends, you lose access to those subscription‑based parts , but keep your saves and any separately purchased content.
If you tell me exactly how you got the “Expansion Pass” (one‑time purchase vs. via NSO + Expansion Pack), I can spell out precisely what will and won’t disappear in your case. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
