Breath of the Wild just got wilder: Multiplayer mod released after $10,000 challenge

A small group of modders has completed a multiplayer mod for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which many gamers have wished for for years. The modders have released a fully functional multiplayer mod for the popular game, allowing up to 32 players to explore Hyrule together, after nearly a year and a half of work.

$10.000

The mod was created in response to a challenge issued by YouTuber PointCrow, who offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could create a multiplayer mod for the game. AlexMangue, the project's lead modder, credited PointCrow for not only providing the reward but also financially supporting the project and providing creative ideas on what the modders needed to work on. (via PCGamer)

discord

The mod, which is currently available through Discord, allows players to explore Hyrule together, share their progress, and participate in custom game modes created by the modders. Many aspects, such as player location, weather and time of day, enemy health, and progress through discovered towers and shrines, are synchronized between players.

not complete

However, the mod is not yet complete. The ability to synchronize enemies' AI is still unavailable, and the display of enemy damage varies between players. The modders faced significant difficulties in developing the mod because Nintendo ships the game code without symbols, making it difficult to read. To get the mod to work, the modders had to use "hacky" methods such as injecting their own code into the emulator, which allowed them to access the information stored in the emulator's RAM memory.

takedown

Despite the success and popularity of the mod, Nintendo is reportedly taking videos and other content about it offline. It is not surprising since Nintendo is known for being very protective of its intellectual property and has a history of shutting down fan-made projects. The modders, on the other hand, remain upbeat, stating that they will continue to develop the mod and improve its features.

eager

The multiplayer mod for Breath of the Wild has caused quite a stir in the gaming community, with many players eager to explore Hyrule with their friends. It is a testament to the creativity and passion of modders who can take a game and add their own unique twist to it, giving fans an experience they never knew was possible.