Koei Tecmo Approached Nintendo to Create Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment for Nintendo Switch 2
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, the latest entry in the acclaimed Zelda spinoff series, launched on Nintendo Switch 2, extending the successful partnership between Nintendo and Koei Tecmo.
While previous installments stemmed from Nintendo’s initiative, the development of Age of Imprisonment began with Koei Tecmo themselves, marking a new chapter in the collaboration between these industry giants. The game draws heavily from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, one of Nintendo Switch’s best-selling titles.
During an in-depth interview with 4Gamer, translated by Nintendo Everything, producers Yosuke Hayashi and Ryota Matsushita shared the origins of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.
Yosuke Hayashi explained that after dedicating a weekend to playing Tears of the Kingdom, he was inspired by its storyline and the Imprisoning War featured within the game’s lore.
Recognizing the potential for a new Warriors game set during this pivotal conflict, Hayashi commented that the experience seemed to invite a musou adaptation.
He promptly reached out to co-producer Matsushita and together, they drafted a proposal for what would become Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Ryota Matsushita also noted that coincidentally, he had already started outlining a similar concept independently.
He observed that the setting and narrative possibilities from Tears of the Kingdom made a Warriors-style game feel almost inevitable, with intriguing gameplay opportunities spread throughout the Zelda universe. The excitement at Koei Tecmo was shared by Nintendo.
Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma recalled that, during Tears of the Kingdom's development, director Hidemaro Fujibayashi thoroughly established the details behind the Imprisoning War.
Conversations emerged within Nintendo about proposing a new Warriors title to Koei Tecmo, but Aonuma decided to wait and see if the developer would approach them first.
As fate would have it, soon after, Koei Tecmo did just that, initiating discussions for what would become Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Now available on Nintendo Switch 2, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment continues to expand with regular updates.
The most recent patch introduces the challenging “Forbidden” difficulty mode, a new “Phantom” mode featuring increased enemy counts, additional weapons, and fresh combat challenges, further enhancing the replay value for dedicated fans. This proactive collaboration underscores Koei Tecmo’s creative vision and the enduring influence of The Legend of Zelda anthology.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment stands as a testament to the synergy between developer and publisher, celebrating key moments of Zelda’s storied timeline on the latest Nintendo hardware.
While previous installments stemmed from Nintendo’s initiative, the development of Age of Imprisonment began with Koei Tecmo themselves, marking a new chapter in the collaboration between these industry giants. The game draws heavily from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, one of Nintendo Switch’s best-selling titles.
During an in-depth interview with 4Gamer, translated by Nintendo Everything, producers Yosuke Hayashi and Ryota Matsushita shared the origins of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.
Yosuke Hayashi explained that after dedicating a weekend to playing Tears of the Kingdom, he was inspired by its storyline and the Imprisoning War featured within the game’s lore.
Recognizing the potential for a new Warriors game set during this pivotal conflict, Hayashi commented that the experience seemed to invite a musou adaptation.
He promptly reached out to co-producer Matsushita and together, they drafted a proposal for what would become Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Ryota Matsushita also noted that coincidentally, he had already started outlining a similar concept independently.
He observed that the setting and narrative possibilities from Tears of the Kingdom made a Warriors-style game feel almost inevitable, with intriguing gameplay opportunities spread throughout the Zelda universe. The excitement at Koei Tecmo was shared by Nintendo.
Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma recalled that, during Tears of the Kingdom's development, director Hidemaro Fujibayashi thoroughly established the details behind the Imprisoning War.
Conversations emerged within Nintendo about proposing a new Warriors title to Koei Tecmo, but Aonuma decided to wait and see if the developer would approach them first.
As fate would have it, soon after, Koei Tecmo did just that, initiating discussions for what would become Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Now available on Nintendo Switch 2, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment continues to expand with regular updates.
The most recent patch introduces the challenging “Forbidden” difficulty mode, a new “Phantom” mode featuring increased enemy counts, additional weapons, and fresh combat challenges, further enhancing the replay value for dedicated fans. This proactive collaboration underscores Koei Tecmo’s creative vision and the enduring influence of The Legend of Zelda anthology.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment stands as a testament to the synergy between developer and publisher, celebrating key moments of Zelda’s storied timeline on the latest Nintendo hardware.
