During a recent interview with 4Gamer, The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma suggested that the next main Zelda game could take inspiration from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Koei Tecmo’s game that is set during the Sealing War.
Aonuma did not confirm anything concrete, but his comments suggest that Nintendo is closely watching the outcome of the collaboration and may carry some of those ideas forward.
“The inspiration we’ve gained from collaborating with Koei Tecmo like this may be reflected in the next Zelda we create.”
A Collaboration Nintendo Is Clearly Paying Attention To
Aonuma explained that working with Koei Tecmo was not just about handing over the Zelda IP. The collaboration was a back-and-forth process, with Nintendo sharing lore details and giving Koei Tecmo room to work on parts of Hyrule’s history that had not been explored before.
Aonuma also joked that Nintendo had hoped to be the first to release a Zelda game on Switch 2, poking fun at the fact that Age of Imprisonment got there first. Even so, he made it clear he was happy with how the project turned out.
Rather than spelling out specific mechanics or systems that could carry over, Aonuma encouraged fans to imagine how ideas born from this collaboration might make it into Zelda’s future.
Why Age of Imprisonment Has Its Importance in the Main Series
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is set during the Sealing War, an important historical event referenced in Tears of the Kingdom. The game expands on the fragmented memories shown through Dragon’s Tears, turning that era into a large-scale, playable conflict.
The game focuses on figures like Rauru, Mineru, and the masked sages, and also adds new characters developed alongside Nintendo. Together, it paints a better picture of ancient Hyrule, combining large-scale battles with Zonai tech, a story with a lot of myths, and co-op moves like Sync Strikes.
Aonuma has previously praised how naturally the two teams worked together, to the point where ideas often clicked without needing much explanation. That kind of creative synergy is likely what he is referring to when talking about future inspiration.
What Ideas Could Be Added to the Next Main Zelda
That does not mean the next Zelda will play like a Warriors game, but the influence could show up in areas such as:
- More focus on Hyrule’s ancient history
- Larger conflicts that play a bigger role in the main story
- New ways of handling companions or team-based actions
- A different take on how ancient Hyrule is portrayed
These could all influence Nintendo’s next entry for the series.
With 2026 marking Zelda’s 40th anniversary, expectations are already high, even though a full new mainline entry this year remains unlikely. Nintendo also has other Zelda projects in the works, including a live-action movie planned for 2027 and a LEGO Zelda set currently in development.
For now, Aonuma’s comments do not reveal much, but they offer an interesting hint at how ideas from spin-off collaborations could quietly influence the future of the series.
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