Hyrule Warriors Prequel To Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Revealed

A new Legend of Zelda spin-off is coming to Nintendo Switch this November. Titled Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the game is another Dynasty Warriors-style Zelda adventure developed jointly by Nintendo and Koei Tecmo, and it serves as a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Set 100 years before the events of the Switch launch title, Age of Calamity chronicles the Great Calamity that devastated Hyrule. As in the previous Hyrule Warriors, the game will feature multiple playable characters, each with a different play style. Players will be able to take control of Link, Zelda, and the four champions of Hyrule--Mipha, Revali, Daruk, and Urbosa--and use their unique skills to cut through hordes of Ganon's minions. Along with the aforementioned characters, a small Guardian can be seen among the heroes in the game's official key art, suggesting it could be playable as well.

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In addition to over-the-top battles, Age of Calamity incorporates traditional Zelda elements like puzzles. Players will need to use the Sheikah Slate and other skills to overcome these and other environmental obstacles. Nintendo also says the game features "a robust story that depicts the events, relationships and dramatic moments of the Great Calamity in captivating detail."

According to Koei Tecmo's Yosuke Hayashi, who serves as Age of Calamity's producer, the game was created in close collaboration with Nintendo. "Unlike the previous Hyrule Warriors games, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was developed by working closely with the Zelda team in every step of the process, including gameplay direction, graphics, world, and all dialogue," Hayashi explained. More details about the game are set to be revealed on September 26.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is not the Breath of the Wild sequel that was announced back in June 2019. Development on that game is still progressing, series producer Eiji Aonuma confirmed in a video message, although he noted that fans will have to "wait a bit longer" for news about it.

"We mentioned in the June 2019 Nintendo Direct presentation that we had started development on the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," Aonuma said. "Many people around the world are still playing Breath of the Wild, so I'd like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. Regarding the sequel, in order to make the vast world you enjoyed exploring in the original game even more impressive, the team is working hard on its development, so you'll have to wait a bit longer before we can provide more updates."

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on November 20. Pre-orders for the game are now live on the Nintendo Switch eShop and at other retailers. Those who pre-order the game digitally will receive a free bonus weapon: the Lucky Ladle. Nintendo is also re-releasing the Breath of the Wild Champions Amiibo alongside Age of Calamity on November 20.