Nintendo's July 2025 Partner Showcase has officially confirmed Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment as a canonical prequel to 2023's Tears of the Kingdom. Discover everything revealed about this exciting new chapter in Zelda lore.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Is Canon
Bridging the Gap to Tears of the Kingdom
The game explores the canonical events preceding The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Nintendo's July 31st, 2025 showcase featured a cinematic trailer packed with story details, showcasing pivotal moments from the Imprisoning War along with playable characters including Princess Zelda, King Rauru, Queen Sonia, and Mineru.
Notably absent is series protagonist Link - an expected omission given the game's ancient timeline setting. The trailer's closing moments tease a mysterious Construct reassembling in an underground shrine, hinting at deeper mysteries yet to be revealed.
First introduced in Tears of the Kingdom's backstory, the Imprisoning War chronicles Ganondorf's betrayal as Gerudo leader and his subsequent sealing by King Rauru and allies. What was previously limited to ToTK's cutscenes now becomes fully playable in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.
The action-packed trailer also offered glimpses of signature Warriors-style combat. Standout moments included Rauru and Zelda combining light-based attacks and Mineru unleashing devastating whirlwind techniques - all signature elements of KOEI TECMO's acclaimed hack-and-slash formula that tasks players with conquering massive enemy hordes and formidable bosses.
While a specific launch date remains unconfirmed, Nintendo has announced a target release window of "Winter 2025."
For ongoing updates about the game, be sure to explore our additional coverage.
