It wouldn’t be a Nintendo console without a Zelda, and the Nintendo Switch 2 is no exception, though it came in a form we weren’t expecting. During today’s Nintendo Direct, we learned that Koei Tecmo is making a new Hyrule Warriors game: a Tears of the Kingdom prequel called Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. And it’s coming out this winter.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is another Hyrule Warriors game, but this time starring the cast of characters present in the ancient history portions of Tears of the Kingdom. That means Zelda, of course, as well as Rauru, Sonia, and the other holders of the Secret Stones. It tells the story of what Zelda was doing during the events of Tears of the Kingdom after she traveled back in time, in which she joined forces with the last remaining Zonai, Rauru, his sister Mineru, and his wife Sonia, to fight against Ganondorf and his forces.
The trailer gave us a look at some of the abilities of all these champions, including Mineru in her mech, Zelda’s magic, Rauru with a cool sword-spear thing, and a quick glimpse of the other Sacred Stone wielders as well.
This will be the third Hyrule Warriors game, following the original Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which similarly told a prequel story to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Age of Calamity was especially interesting, as if you knew the story of Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity told its part in a sliiiightly unexpected way, so it will be interesting to see if Age of Imprisonment similarly goes off the rails. We gave Age of Calamity a 9/10, calling it “a joy to play and discover” and “a blast from start to finish.”
You can catch up on everything announced at the Nintendo Direct today right here.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
