Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity Slashes Onto Switch November 20
For what seems like forever, for once a Nintendo published game didn’t leak before announcement, making today’s reveal all the more surprising! Koei Tecmo and Nintendo have teamed up once again to bring the chaos of fighting hundreds of enemies at once to the Zelda franchise. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a brand new Switch game that takes place 100 years before Breath of the Wild. Referenced throughout that game we learned about the Great Calamity and how Ganon and his minions overtook Hyrule, plunging it into darkness. Now you’ll get to take part in those battles and see how things unfolded. The Zelda team worked closely with the developers to make sure the story and characters are true to the source material.
Of course, with the good news comes the bad. Aonuma has announced that the sequel to Breath of the Wild is still deep in development and we won’t be seeing any updates at this time. With Age of Calamity coming out on November 20, 2020 it wouldn’t surprise us if the mainline sequel doesn’t release until next holiday, or maybe even Spring of 2022. Of course this is just conjecture and Nintendo hasn’t confirmed one way or the other, but it’s difficult to believe they’d release two new Zelda games on Switch very close together so be prepared to wait!
Check out the official press release and videos below! We know what we’ll be playing this November…
In related news, Nintendo is making more of the Breath of the Wild Champions amiibo, which should be coming to retailers over the next few months. No details yet on what functionality they’ll have in this new game, but those who missed out on them the last time will be happy to see them returning.
OFFICIAL PR:
A century before the events of the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game, the Great Calamity occurred. Hyrule was plunged into darkness, devasted by an evil force which transformed the kingdom forever. While the Great Calamity is touched on in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch system, fans have never experienced what happened before that catastrophic event … until now.
In the Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity game, which launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on Nov. 20, players will be transported to the time before the Great Calamity happened, participating in epic battles against a backdrop of familiar locations in Hyrule before they were destroyed. The game stars recognizable characters from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild like Link and Zelda, as well as other characters like the four Champions, who will be playable for the very first time in the Hyrule Warriors series.
The debut trailer can be viewed by visiting https://www.zelda.com/hyrule-warriors/.
“Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a must-play for fans of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Roll up your blue tunic sleeves and get ready for a dramatic and surprising adventure through Hyrulean history this holiday season.”
Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Calamity features gameplay that will be familiar to fans of the Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors games. Focused on performing combos and over-the-top special abilities, the action-heavy gameplay is fast-paced and strategic, perfect for players looking for an intense, non-stop action game with direct ties to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In addition to all the action, the game is loaded with a robust story that depicts the events, relationships and dramatic moments of the Great Calamity in captivating detail.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity finds plenty of inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – not just in its visual style. Many of the most popular and fan-favorite characters from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are playable, including Link and Zelda. In addition to hacking and slashing their way through swarms of enemies to defend Hyrule, players will also solve environmental puzzles, unlock weapons and skills, craft materials, visit shops to obtain items and use the power of the Sheikah Slate, which fans will recognize from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
To pre-order Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Calamity and learn more about the game, visit https://www.zelda.com/hyrule-warriors/.
Remember that Nintendo Switch features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/.
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
