Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentis one of the big first-party titles coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 later this year, but it was originally being developed for its predecessor. Nintendo and Koei Tecmo announced a sequel to 2020’sHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityduring the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct in April, and it will once again pit Link and the other heroes of Hyrule against massive waves of enemies in the style of theDynasty Warriorsseries. There is currently no release date set forHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentaside from a vague Winter 2025 launch window.
While the gaming world waits forHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, they might be surprised to learn that it has something in common with another major Switch 2 game that is already out:Mario Kart World. As revealed by producer Kosuke Yabuki, he and his team had startedworkshopping ideas for anotherMario Kartgameduring the development ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe, and had originally envisionedMario Kart Worldas a game on the original Switch. However,Mario Kart World’s massive 24-player races proved too much for the old Switch’s hardware, and it eventually became the Switch 2 launch title fans are enjoying today.
In a new interview withFamitsu(as translated byNintendo Everything), AAA Studio head Yosuke Hayashi revealed thatHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentwas also being planned for the original Nintendo Switch in its early development stages. He says that he isn’t sure exactly when the decision was made, but about midway through development,Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentwastransferred to the Switch 2.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Was Originally Being Developed for the Switch
According to Hayashi, the move to the Nintendo Switch 2significantly shook upHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, making the game “more fun” than it would have been had it remained on the original Switch. He says that the frame rate and the number of enemies that could appear on screen were dramatically bolstered bythe Switch 2’s improved hardware, much to the surprise of Hayashi and his team. Since the main appeal ofDynasty Warriorsand its spin-offs is the feeling of tearing through entire armies, one could see how this boost would benefitHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.
As mentioned before,Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentdoesn’t have an official release date yet, though fans have been theorizing that itcould come out in Novembersince Nintendo tends to release a new major first-party title around that time every year. When it does finally launch, players will get to experience the improved scope of combat that Hayashi was talking about when he revealed thatHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentwas once developed for the original Switch.
