Nintendo’s long-running fantasy RPG celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, and its next entry could find inspiration from a spin-off title. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a Nintendo Switch 2 title made in collaboration with Koei Tecmo, which was just released last month and takes place in the era of the Sealed War. The Legend of Zelda spin-off is more of a hack-and-slash action game where players take on hordes of the Demon King set in the ancient past of Tears of the Kingdom. Featuring characters from throughout the franchise, players can form teams to enter the battlefield using unique abilities and attacks.
“Step onto the battlefield as Princess Zelda, King Rauru, and other legendary heroes as you fight to reclaim your homeland—and live the story of Demon King Ganondorf’s invasion. Band together to battle hordes of enemies and experience the canonical events that lead to the Imprisoning War in the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game.”
– Nintendo
Meanwhile, fans of the original games are no doubt curious about what Nintendo is planning for its own Legend of Zelda game. The latest, Tears of the Kingdom, arrived in 2023 and served as a continuation of Breath of the Wild and the 2D Echoes of Wisdom in 2024. Zelda franchise producer Eiji Aonuma shared some thoughts in an interview with 4Gamer regarding what could be in store for the next game, where he admitted that his team had wished they could’ve been the first to launch a Zelda game on the Switch 2, but there were positives in working with Koei Tecmo to get its game out of the gates ahead of their own.
“Still, the inspiration we’ve gained from collaborating with Koei Tecmo like this may be reflected in the next Zelda we create. As you play Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, we hope you’ll imagine those possibilities and look forward to our Zelda.”
– Eiji Aonuma, Nintendo EPD senior officer, Director and Producer for Legend of Zelda franchise
Nintendo has not formally revealed any plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this iconic franchise, but it would be shocking if nothing is in the works. A movie based on the games is in production and planned for release in 2027, and perhaps Eiji and his team will get their project launched between now and then.