Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity[a] is a hack and slash video game developed by Omega Force, published by Koei Tecmo in Japan and internationally by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It was released on November 20, 2020.
The game is a successor to 2014's Hyrule Warriors, and similarly acts as a crossover mixing the characters and universe of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series with the gameplay of Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors franchise.[1][2] Unlike the first Hyrule Warriors, which was set in its own separate universe, Age of Calamity is part of the The Legend of Zelda canon, taking place 100 years before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and depicting the Great Calamity, a war frequently mentioned in the original game. This makes Age of Calamity the first The Legend of Zelda game to act as a direct prequel to another entry in the series. In the story, Link and Princess Zelda must gather allies from all across Hyrule to fight the forces led by the evil Calamity Ganon, who is attempting to revive himself and destroy the kingdom.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity received positive reviews from critics, who praised its gameplay, varied character playstyles, amount of content, visuals, soundtrack, and characterization; the game's use of the assets and universe of Breath of the Wild was also lauded, with critics favorably singling out how it extended upon the original game's characters and backstory. However, some criticized the game for its technical issues, including heavy frame drops and certain aspects of the story. Within its first four days, the game shipped over 3 million copies worldwide, making it the single best-selling game in the entire Warriors franchise.