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Nintendo crammed so many details and mechanics into The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that fans still discover new secrets even years later. In one Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mod, fans could get a look at a mechanic in the Gerudo Desert that several fans did not even know existed.

The Gerudo Desert from 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' mod where fans tampered with Link's sunburn mechanic
The Gerudo Desert from ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ | Nintendo

‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ mod reveals more about Link’s sunburn in the Gerudo Desert

The map of Hyrule in BOTW features various extreme climates. The Rito live near the harsh snows of the Hebra Regions, while the Gerudo Tribe and Yiga Clan dwell in the blazing sands of the Gerudo Desert.

Link is not used to such extremes. Fans noticed details like Link’s nose turning red in colder regions. However, several fans failed to notice that he could sustain sunburn while traveling through the desert.

While the desert might not be as hot as freeing Divine Beast Vah Rudania in a literal volcano, Link’s skin does redden from the sun.

And in a Reddit video, a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mod pushed Link’s sunburn mechanic to the limit.

A video of ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ mod shows Link absolutely charred by sunburn

According to a post on Reddit, in regular BOTW gameplay, Link does not burn beyond 4%. However, in one Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mod, Link’s sunburn is pushed to the extreme.

The video shows Link’s sunburn growing gradually worse and worse as Moblins, Lizalfos, and Bokoblins watch. Link goes from pinkish to red to a deep red at around 12% at the one-minute mark.

And then it keeps going. By 30%, Link looks entirely charred by the sun.

By the time the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mod pushes Link’s sunburn to 100%, there is not even a hint of skin color left on the poor hero.

Of course, players will never encounter this degree of heat in regular gameplay. Even the heat in Death Mountain does not hit Link as hard. However, players still need to stay cool while venturing to save Hyrule.

While Nintendo including a sunburn mechanic is a fun detail, it can quickly become annoying for players because Link actually takes damage from it. Granted, he does not take nearly as much damage as the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mod.

“To stay cool in the heat, eat ‘Chilly’ items,” Gameranx reports. “Items with the chilly effect include Hydromelons, which are common in the Gerudo Desert, or dropped by cold-weather animals.”

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Cooking recipes like Chilly Mushroom Skewer and Spicy Mushroom Skewer can also help Link stay cool in Breath of the Wild.

Link can equip Desert Voe armor and the Gerudo outfit. While they do not offer much in defense, they make traveling the Gerudo Desert a breeze.