Botw Update 160 2021 May 2026

In the grand timeline of Breath of the Wild updates, 1.6.0 is a footnote. But it represents something important: Nintendo’s long-term maintenance of a single-player game years after launch. In an era where many developers abandon non-live-service titles, Nintendo ensured BotW remained compatible with modern Switch firmware updates.

It also marked the final patch for Breath of the Wild on Switch. After 1.6.0, all development attention shifted to Tears of the Kingdom (2023). If you’re playing BotW today, you’re likely on 1.6.0. botw update 160 2021

Nintendo’s official patch notes for Breath of the Wild version 1.6.0 were famously sparse. The only bullet point provided was: In the grand timeline of Breath of the Wild updates, 1

"General stability improvements and other minor adjustments to enhance the user experience." Nintendo’s official patch notes for Breath of the

This is Nintendo’s standard phrasing for minor patches. However, given that the previous update (1.5.0) arrived in 2018 to support The Champions’ Ballad DLC and general fixes, a new version number three years later raised eyebrows.

The leading theory at the time—later confirmed by data miners—was that 1.6.0 contained no new gameplay features, quests, or balance changes. Instead, it was a compatibility patch designed to support a specific Switch console firmware update (version 12.0.0+).

If you’re just now returning to Hyrule and your game still says “Ver. 1.5.0” or lower, here’s how to get the 2021 patch.