Because what’s better than fighting the same war over and over again? Nintendo and Koei Tecmo have decided the timeline in The Legend of Zelda wasn’t convoluted enough, so here comes Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, landing on November 6—just in time to remind you that yes, the Switch 2 is happening, and no, they’re not done milking Hyrule just yet.
Revealed during Friday’s Nintendo Direct (because dropping bombshells in livestreams is the new normal), the trailer for Age of Imprisonment gave us a taste of what’s to come—Zonai Devices (finally, someone thought to mix ancient tech with button-mashing), Sync Strikes between character pairs (because team combos = drama), 2-player split-screen co-op, and GameShare functionality for that friend who insists on joining but never buys the game. Also, playable Koroks. Because why not?
Zelda Finally Gets Some Screentime—Maybe?
The game acts as a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, digging into the Imprisoning War and Zelda’s very busy schedule during it. If you’ve ever wanted more lore piled onto Zelda’s backstory, congratulations—here’s a whole war. The trailer heavily implies Zelda might finally do something useful—like be the protagonist. Rauru and Mineru are also playable, just in case you were wondering how deep this rabbit hole goes.
Hyrule Warriors: The Never-Ending Spin-Off
For those keeping score at home, Koei Tecmo started this Hyrule Warriors saga in 2014 with the original on Wii U (RIP). Then came Hyrule Warriors Legends for 3DS in 2016, and Definitive Edition for Switch in 2018—because every game needs at least three versions, right? Oh, and don’t forget Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which arrived in November 2020 as a prequel to Breath of the Wild because linear storytelling is for amateurs.
Meanwhile, in the Main Timeline…
Speaking of Breath of the Wild, that one dropped in March 2017. Its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, was supposed to arrive in 2022 but was released in May 2023 instead. And if you thought Link had finally taken a back seat, surprise—The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launched in September 2024 and actually stars Zelda herself. It’s a top-down throwback, rocking an art style reminiscent of the Link’s Awakening remake from 2019.
So buckle up, because Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment isn’t just another hack-and-slash. It’s another chance to revisit a timeline you didn’t ask to understand, with characters you barely remember, all powered by Koei Tecmo’s signature flair for battlefield chaos. And yes, it’s canon—probably.
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