New Zelda Game Coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in Winter 2025

Nintendo has announced a new Zelda game coming to the Switch 2 console. "Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment" will be released in Winter 2025 and will serve as a prequel to the popular "Tears of the Kingdom" game.

This upcoming title continues the tradition of the Hyrule Warriors series, which blends the world of Zelda with fast-paced action gameplay where players battle against huge armies of enemies.

Unlike the main Zelda games that focus on exploration and puzzle-solving, the Warriors games are all about exciting combat.

The game will focus on Zelda's journey back in time to participate in the Imprisoning War, an important historical event that was only mentioned in "Tears of the Kingdom." During this adventure, players will see how Zelda teams up with King Rauru and the remaining Zonai people to battle against Ganondorf, setting up the events that eventually lead to "Tears of the Kingdom."

According to the trailer revealed during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct presentation, players will be able to control several characters including Zelda herself, King Rauru with his light spear, and Mineru who commands giant Zonai robots. Each character will have their own unique weapons, moves, and special abilities to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.

This marks the third entry in the Hyrule Warriors series, following "Hyrule Warriors" and "Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity" which was a prequel to "Breath of the Wild." These spinoff games have been praised for how they expand the Zelda universe and provide more background to the main games' stories.

The gameplay follows the "Musou" style that fans of previous Warriors games will recognize. Players control their chosen hero on large battlefields filled with thousands of enemy soldiers. Using powerful attacks and special moves, players cut through these armies while completing various objectives to win battles. The game is likely to include RPG elements like character leveling and weapon upgrades, similar to previous entries in the series.

The trailer also hints at the inclusion of abilities similar to those in "Tears of the Kingdom," with Zelda appearing to use something like the Recall ability seen in that game. There might also be opportunities to control massive constructs during battles.

While "Age of Imprisonment" won't be available at the Switch 2's launch, it represents one of the exciting titles coming to Nintendo's new console. The game will be exclusive to the Switch 2, meaning it won't be playable on the original Switch console.

Preorders are not yet available, but Nintendo is expected to share more details about the game as its release window approaches.