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The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has revealed exciting hints regarding the next installment of the series, suggesting that it may take some of its inspiration from the action spin-off Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.
With the Zelda series set to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2026, any hint about its future is of great interest to fans.
Released last month on the Switch 2, Age of Imprisonment is the third full installment in the Hyrule Warriors series, a series that blends the Zelda universe with the fast-paced team-fighting style of Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors games.
Age of Imprisonment retells historical events from the Zelda timeline with an emphasis on head-to-head encounters, multiple characters, and a more intense combat system compared to the main games in the series.
In a new interview with 4Gamer, Aonuma talked about the experience of collaborating with Koei Tecmo, saying that Age of Imprisonment was the first Zelda game to be released on the Switch 2, and jokingly added that they would have preferred the achievement to go to the core Zelda team.
Aonuma noted that this collaboration gave the development team ideas and inspiration that could be reflected in the next Zelda game, explaining that he hopes that as players experience Age of Imprisonment, they can imagine how some of its elements or ideas could influence the next major title.
Although 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the series, the release of a new major Zelda game in that year is still uncertain, especially since the last major installment, Tears of the Kingdom, was released in 2024, while the last 2D game came out just last year.
Nintendo is currently working on expanding Zelda’s presence outside of video games with a live-action movie set for 2027 as well as a new LEGO set inspired by the series.
Aonuma’s statements open the door to wide speculation about the future of Zelda and whether it will see a new evolution that blends its classic style with some sub-game ideas to celebrate its long history.
