Summary
Nintendo announced during the dedicated Switch 2 showcase that a Hyrule Warriors sequel will launch sometime this Winter.
Following Zelda as the lead in her second-ever game (not countingthe old CD-i titles),Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentis set beforeTears of the Kingdom, much asAge of Calamitywas a prequel toBreath of the Wild, allowing us to see firsthand as the princess fights alongside Raru and Mineru, both of whom are playable, against the legions of Ganondorf.
Nintendo reportedly wanted the original Hyrule Warriors to be a Japanese exclusive.
Age Of Imprisonment Takes Place During The Imprisoning War
While it’s positioned as a prequel, leading into the events of Tears of the Kingdom by following the story of the Secret Stone guardians, it’s worth noting that Age of Calamity likewise billed itself as a prequel to Breath of the Wild, only to be revealed as a non-canon, divergent timeline when it was released in 2014.
However, asu/PlayMp1 pointed out on the r/Games subreddit, Nintendo doesn’t have to change the story to tell a happy ending here, so it’s more likely that the new Hyrule Warriors will lead directly into Tears of the Kingdom rather than its own alternate future.
“The Imprisoning War ends with the good guys triumphant and Ganandorf imprisoned (hence the name), so this game can just tell that story,” they explained. “Age of Calamity did a timeline split because […] the good guys win, whereas in BotW they lost and Link had to come back 100 years later.”
Granted, this is entirely speculative, and we’ll just have to wait and see when the game launches this Winter if it really does tie into Tears of the Kingdom’s story directly. That being said, some fans, like u/JamSa, argue that Age of Calamity was “made way better” by not being canon, as it gave Nintendo more freedom as to what characters it could include and the story it could tell, rather than being pigeonholed by an ending we already knew.
The Switch 2, meanwhile, launches on June 5.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is an all-new Warriors title developed by Koei Tecmo that takes place before the events of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom.
