Eiji Aonuma, the driving force behind Legend of Zelda, initially aimed to release the first Zelda title on the Switch 2, but found “some inspiration” while collaborating with Koei Tecmo on Age of Imprisonment.

Eiji Aonuma, the producer behind the Legend of Zelda series, expressed his desire for a Nintendo-developed Zelda title to be the first game released on the Switch 2, prior to the launch of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. However, the partnership with Koei Tecmo has sparked fresh ideas for the next installment in the franchise.

In a recent interview, Aonuma humorously noted that he wished Nintendo could have the honor of debuting the first Zelda game on the new hardware. “Age of Imprisonment is the first Zelda game to be released on Nintendo Switch 2,” he stated. “If I’m being honest, we wanted to launch the ‘first’ one.”

Throughout the development of Age of Imprisonment, Nintendo shared extensive story notes with Koei Tecmo, including concepts that didn’t make it into the final version. This collaboration allowed both teams to exchange ideas and ensure that the game’s content aligned with Nintendo’s overarching vision.

By revisiting Zelda’s rich lore, the collaboration with Koei Tecmo reignited the creative spark within Nintendo’s in-house Zelda team, leading to new concepts for the next game. “The collaboration with Koei Tecmo has given us some inspiration,” Aonuma mentioned. “Maybe that will be reflected in our next Zelda game. When you play Age of Imprisonment, I urge you to consider that as you eagerly await our Zelda game.”

While Nintendo hasn’t officially announced a new Legend of Zelda title in development, it’s safe to assume that with major franchises like Zelda, Mario, and Pokémon, something exciting is likely on the horizon.

Fans shipping Zelda and Link might be feeling a bit let down after Age of Imprisonment portrays their relationship as merely platonic, but after 39 years, there’s plenty of room for interpretation.