Man Is Arrested For Selling “Ultimate” Breath Of The Wild Save Files

A man has been arrested for selling “ultimate save data” modified copies of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in Japan.

At E3 this year, we were finally treated to some gameplay for the Breath of the Wild sequel. Though it seems that some are getting far more than most from the original game that was released in 2017.

As reported by TheGamer, a 27-year-old Chinese national was arrested for selling modified copies of Breath of the Wild with “ultimate save data” in Japan.

What is the Breath of the Wild Ultimate Save Data?

The man was selling copies of Breath of the Wild with save data tailored to the buyer’s needs. For example, Link’s abilities would be modified and rare items in the game would be easier to obtain.

It is said that since December 2019, the seller of the “ultimate save data” made around 10 million yen (about £66k/$90k) with copies of the BOTW modified data selling for 3500 yen (£24/$31).

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Why is selling modified save data illegal?

Especially in the world of PC gaming, modified data aka mods are nothing new and files can be easily obtained on websites such as NexusMods. However, modding games became illegal in Japan in 2019.

Breath of the Wild 2 sunset
Credit: Nintendo

Commenting on the case, a cybercrime spokesperson from the Niigata Prefectural Police said: “Modification of save data should not be done in violation [of the law], and I would like to ask [the public] not to purchase the data.

Thanks to emulation, Breath of the Wild mods are quite common on PC and have resulted in some spectacular enhancements. For example, the glorious 8K resolution mod even throws in ray-tracing for good measure.

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What are your thoughts on the Breath of the Wild “ultimate save data” report? Let us know across our social media channels.

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Featured Image Credit: Nintendo