This is the eighth Creator’s Voice feature following interviews with FromSoftware’s Hidetaka Miyazaki on The Duskbloods, Supergiant Games on Hades II, Hazelight Studios on Split Fiction, Avalanche Software on Hogwarts Legacy, CD Projekt RED on Cyberpunk 2077, Square Enix on Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Gearbox Software on Borderlands 4.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is set during the ancient era of the Imprisoning War. This period was briefly shown in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The team explains how the game lets you experience that era directly through large-scale battles, story elements, and characters not fully explored in past titles.
Matsushita and Hayashi share how their personal passion for gaming led to careers in development. They also reflect on how the Nintendo Switch 2’s performance allowed the team to expand the scale of battles and present the experience they envisioned. For them, games are not just entertainment, but a shared memory, something that connects people across time and space.
A New Perspective on the Imprisoning War
According to the developers, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment takes place during the ancient conflict known as the Imprisoning War. This era was only shown in fragments in Tears of the Kingdom. The new game lets you experience it firsthand through large-scale action battles and story moments.
The team explains that the game doesn’t just focus on combat. It also explores daily life in the kingdom after Princess Zelda appears in the ancient world. You’ll also learn more about the four sages who wore masks in Tears of the Kingdom. The game explores their personalities and roles in the larger conflict.
Matsushita and Hayashi say the game contains secrets that go beyond what’s been shown before. They hope this setting, along with its mysteries and characters, will encourage fans of Zelda to dive deeper into the timeline. The story builds on Tears of the Kingdom. The focus is on offering a distinct experience found only in Age of Imprisonment.
Larger Battles, More Strategy
The developers say Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment builds on familiar action elements from past Warriors games. It also adds new systems that take advantage of Nintendo Switch 2. One major improvement is the number of enemies that can appear on screen, which helps create a stronger sense of scale and battlefield impact.
Combat still involves clearing out large enemy groups and taking down powerful bosses. But now, there’s more emphasis on combining items and working with allies to approach each mission in different ways. The team highlights that everyone will have their own playstyle, and the game supports that flexibility.
The developers also confirm that Age of Imprisonment runs at a higher frame rate than the previous title thanks to the new hardware. This improvement was important to them, not just for smoother action, but for keeping the pace of battles consistent.
The team wanted to create a game that gives you the feeling of saving Hyrule your own way. That means your actions in each scenario shape how you experience the Imprisoning War. For those new to the Warriors series, this game is designed to be welcoming without losing its sense of impact.
Games as Shared Memories
Both Matsushita and Hayashi speak about how a love for games naturally led them into the industry. They didn’t grow up with a set goal in mind. They continued making games simply because it’s what they enjoyed most. That passion, they say, helped carry them through.
They also talk about games as a way to connect people. Even when playing apart, sharing the same view, the same challenge, or the same memory can make people feel like they’ve traveled together. Moments in Zelda, like figuring out what to do when fire blocks your path or when Ganon launches a glowing orb, become shared reference points.
For them, these shared experiences are part of what makes gaming meaningful. Games can create a sense of community through common memories, even if people are in different places or have different physical conditions.
They also reflect on how Nintendo has helped expand who gets considered a “gamer.” What used to feel niche or specialized now feels normal. People play games daily without thinking twice, and with Nintendo Switch 2, they’re excited to see how that reach might grow further.
Closing Out the Creator’s Voice Series
This final Creator’s Voice episode offers a closer look at how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment takes a key moment from Tears of the Kingdom and turns it into a full-scale action game. From reimagined large-scale battles to deeper character insights, Koei Tecmo’s approach highlights how Nintendo Switch 2 opens up new possibilities for the Warriors series.
Throughout the Creator’s Voice series, Nintendo has featured a wide range of studios bringing games to its next system, each with their own vision and experience. With this last episode, the focus shifts to connection, scale, and the personal stories that make game development meaningful.
What do you think of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment? Are you excited to explore the Imprisoning War in a new way? Let us know in the comments.
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