Just earlier this month, Nintendo gave fans theSuper Mario Bros 35th Anniversary Direct, which showcased all of the brand-newMariorelated games and content that Nintendo fans are in store for over the course of the rest of 2020, and beyond. Fans learned about brand new titles and ports coming to the Switch, including the soon-to-be-releasedSuper Mario 3D All-Stars.And while all of this was certainly exciting, it told Nintendo fans that, perhaps, Nintendo would give similar treatment to its other blockbuster franchise,The Legend of Zelda.
And just when things seemed to slow down, Nintendo announcedHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityseemingly out of nowhere.Age of Calamityis another entry into theHyrule Warriorsgames, whilst also serving as a direct prequel toBreath of the Wild. The game was announced simply by a trailer on Nintendo’s YouTube channel, with a relatively soon release date of November 20. The title will service as Nintendo’s big holiday title of 2020, but more interestingly, the game may be paving the way for theZeldafranchise’s big year.
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Starting the Hype Train
Nintendo made no accident with releasing this spin-off at the end of 2020: it was on purpose in order to help build hype for Link’s big year. While theoriginalHyrule Warriorswas not a hugely successful game compared to mainline titles, it in many ways felt like a celebration of theZeldafranchise as a whole. It featured tons of different characters and enemies, locations across the hugely expansive series, and felt like a love letter toZeldafans. In the same why,Age of Calamityseems to be a celebration of theBreath of the Wildset of games, allowing for players to step into the shoes of tons of different characters from the 2017 game and will likely hint at future events to be seen in the upcoming sequel.
Even thoughAge of Calamityis due out at the end of this year, fans should not forget that the title is likely to receive additional downloadable content later down the road, as the originalHyrule Warriorsdid. If Nintendo wanted, the company could useAge of Calamityas a vehicle for delivering tons of new and excitingZeldacontent that will help drive the 35th Anniversary hype train forward throughout next year.
Paving the Way for Breath of the Wild 2
It’s no secret thatHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityis anextension of theBreath of the Wilduniverse ofZeldagames. The game has the exact same art style, contains a story that is directly derivative of the original game, and will surely hint at events in the sequel to the 2017 smash-hit. The new title is in the same universe as the Switch’s big launch title, and seems like the perfect bridge between mainlineZeldagames. The game, in many ways, seems like an appetizer for the main course that isBreath of the Wild 2. The original was the most successful mainlineZeldaentry to date, so releasing an entire game meant to build up hype for its sequel is a big way to build up the hype train.
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Why Not Release in 2021?
So if 2021 is the year ofZelda, why is this new game coming out in 2020? Well, probably for multiple reasons. The most obvious answer may have been unplanned, that being Nintendo may have pushed this game’s release forward a couple of months due to other titles getting delayed due to Covid-19 issues. This would make sense, asAge of Calamityfeels a little weak for a holiday game.
On the other hand, fans could think of this game’s 2020 release as being strategic on Nintendo’s part. It is the perfect game for Nintendo to support with Season Passes throughout 2021, thus giving theZeldaseries a very strong presence throughout the year. Additionally, by having a majorZeldaspin-off title release this year, it will leave fans craving a meatierZeldaexperience next year. If the company manages to play its cards right, fans may be going absolutely insane for a newZeldagame by the timeBreath of the Wild 2releases sometime next year.
Other Zelda Releases
Let’s also not forget that Nintendo likely has otherZeldagames to come in 2021. Fans already know that the popular spin-offCadence of Hyruleis getting a physical release on October 23, so that’s two physicalZeldareleases coming at the end of 2020 alone. Many fans are even speculating thatZeldawill be receiving a 3D collection in 2021, similar to theSuper Mario 3D All-Starscollectionreleasing this year, as next year is its 35th anniverasry. With so many potential new releases coming in the near-future, it’s hard to argue that 2021 won’t be a big year for the Hylian hero.
Regardless of feelings for the spin-off,Age of Calamityis a sign thatZeldafans are in for a big year in 2021. With a distinctBreath of the Wildaesthetic, the new title shows that fans are in store for a big year, with Nintendo likely to have at least a couple of surprises up its sleeves. There was a tease at the end of theAge of Calamitytrailer for more details to get revealed on September 26, so fans will have to stay tuned for whatever that announcement might entail. It may just end up being more details aboutAge of Calamity, but that’s still big for Link regardless.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityreleases for the Switch on May 28, 2025.
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