In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, exploration is a major part of the gameplay experience. With such a massive open world to traverse, players often rely heavily on the map and pinning system to track important locations, points of interest, or future goals. As you mark various places on the Sheikah Slate map, the screen can quickly become cluttered. That’s when knowing how to unpin in Breath of the Wild becomes essential. Whether you’re a new player learning the ropes or a seasoned adventurer managing dozens of pins, understanding how to efficiently remove markers can streamline your exploration and make your journey through Hyrule smoother and more organized.
Understanding the Pinning System
What Are Pins in Breath of the Wild?
Pins are visual markers you can place on your in-game map using the Sheikah Slate. These markers appear both on the map and in the actual game world as colored beams of light, making them useful for navigation. You can place pins through the map interface or directly by looking through the Sheikah Slate’s scope (binocular mode) and selecting a location of interest.
The game allows you to place up to five colored pins at a time, in red, blue, green, yellow, and purple. In addition to pins, players can also use stamps for organizing information. However, stamps do not appear in the overworld, while pins do, making them more valuable for live navigation.
When Should You Unpin?
Reasons to Remove a Pin
Unpinning becomes important once a location has already been visited or when you no longer need to track a specific area. Here are some common reasons to unpin:
- You’ve already explored the location
- The point of interest no longer exists (e.g., a defeated enemy camp or collected chest)
- You need to free up pin space for new markers
- You want to reduce visual clutter on the map and screen
Properly managing your pins is key to keeping your map organized, especially during complex quests or shrine hunting expeditions.
How to Unpin on the Sheikah Slate Map
Step-by-Step Instructions
Unpinning directly from the map is one of the most straightforward ways to manage your markers. Here’s how you do it:
- Open your map by pressing the minus button (-) on your controller
- Use the left stick to move the cursor and locate the pin you want to remove
- Hover over the pin and press the A button
- Select the option that says ‘Delete pin’ or simply press the corresponding button shown on screen (often the A or Y button depending on interface)
The pin will be immediately removed from both the map and the in-game view. You can now use that pin slot for a new location or leave it open to reduce distractions.
Tips for Efficient Map Management
- Label pins mentally by color to remember what each one was for (e.g., red for shrines, blue for koroks)
- Check your map frequently and clean up old pins regularly
- Use stamps to mark things you want to remember but don’t need to visually track
How to Unpin Using the Scope
Removing Pins Placed Through the Sheikah Scope
If you placed a pin while using the Sheikah Slate’s scope, you can still remove it by accessing the map. However, there’s also a shortcut:
- Activate the Sheikah Scope by clicking in the right stick (R3)
- Look in the direction of the pin you want to remove
- Once the pin is centered, press A to remove it
Note: This only works if you still have a clear line of sight to the pin’s location. If the pin is on the other side of a mountain or far out of view, it’s best to remove it from the map screen instead.
Managing Stamps vs. Pins
What’s the Difference?
While pins act as visual beacons in the game world, stamps only show up on the map. They are perfect for marking future tasks, resources, or interesting terrain. Stamps can be placed using the map interface and include a variety of icons like swords, shields, leaves, and treasure chests.
You can place up to 100 stamps at once, giving you much more flexibility than pins. However, because they don’t display in the game world, they are not ideal for immediate navigation.
How to Remove Stamps
- Open the map
- Move the cursor to the stamp you want to remove
- Press A and then choose Delete stamp
Like with pins, regularly clearing out unused stamps keeps your map from getting cluttered.
Advanced Pinning Strategies
Using Pins for Shrine Hunting
Many players use the Sheikah Scope to identify distant shrines and mark them with pins. Once a shrine has been reached and activated, it’s a good idea to unpin it. This keeps your map clean and prevents confusion about which shrines you’ve already visited.
Tracking Quest Objectives
Although main and side quests often give you markers automatically, there are times when it helps to place a pin yourself. For example, if an NPC gives you vague directions like north of the lake, placing a pin in that area can help you focus your search. Once the quest is complete or you find the objective, remember to remove the pin.
Marking Dangerous Areas
Use pins to mark locations with strong enemies or traps you want to avoid until later in the game. When you’re stronger or better equipped, you can return and remove the pin after clearing the area.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Leaving Pins in Old Locations
Many players forget to remove pins after reaching their destination. This can lead to a cluttered interface and confusion, especially when backtracking. Make it a habit to unpin right after completing whatever task you pinned the location for.
Using Pins Instead of Stamps
Not every interesting location needs a full visual pin. Use stamps for things that aren’t urgent or that you plan to return to later. This saves your limited pin slots for real-time navigation purposes.
Misidentifying Pins
If you don’t mentally assign a meaning to each color, it’s easy to forget why you placed a certain pin. To avoid this, stick to a color-coded system that works for you. For example:
- Red Shrines
- Blue Korok seeds
- Yellow Towers
- Green Resources
- Purple Dangerous zones
Mastering the ability to unpin in Zelda: Breath of the Wild is more important than it might initially seem. Proper use of the pin system allows for efficient exploration, clearer navigation, and a cleaner user interface. Whether you’re clearing out shrine markers, managing your quest flow, or just tidying up your map, removing unused pins is a valuable habit that enhances your overall experience. Take time to manage your markers strategically, and your journey across Hyrule will be far more enjoyable and efficient.