Nintendo’s February 2022 Direct revealed a huge variety of games, including several remakes, localizations of Japan-only titles, and even a whole game’s worth of DLC forMario Kart 8 Deluxe. It was a packed Direct, even without some of Nintendo’s biggest upcoming titles likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2andMetroid Prime 4. The rest of Nintendo’s year looks strong, and one game that stood out in the Direct wasFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes.
Few expected theFire Emblemseries to revisit theThree Housesuniverse again, or return to theWarriorsseries, so soon. Very little about the game is known considering it’s a major project that will be coming out in just four months. However, what this shows is a pattern that Nintendo and Koei Tecmo will probably stick to in the future, releasing of a new NintendoWarriorsspin-off every few years.
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The History of Nintendo Warriors Games
Nintendo’s consoles have hosted their fair share ofWarriorstitles and spin-offs, but were never associated with the series. As various licensed properties began to receiveWarriorsorMusouadaptations, in December 2013 Nintendo dropped a teaser trailer forHyrule Warriors. ThisWarriorsspin-off adapted characters from throughout theLegend of Zeldaseries. No one knew what to make of it at the time, and fans remained unsure what to think until it came out in 2014. The game received a lot of acclaim and even more developer support, with frequent DLC and two updated re-releases coming out in the subsequent years.
BeforeHyrule Warriors: Definitive Editionin 2018,Fire Emblem Warriorsreleased in 2017. This game was less beloved thanHyrule Warriors, butMusoufans who stuck with it were impressed by the tactical modes added to the game post-launch. After the announcement and release ofPersona 5 Strikers, Nintendo and Koei Tecmo surprised everyone again by announcingHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which serves as a prequel andalternate history story forBreath of the Wild. Now that its DLC has wrapped up,Fire Emblem Warriorswill be revisited once again withThree Hopes. It seems like Nintendo and Koei Tecmo have tried to release a newWarriorsspin-off every two or three years, and the trend has every reason to continue.
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The Role of Warriors Games in Nintendo’s Lineup
While Nintendo’s investment inWarriorsgames seems odd at first glance, it’s a very sensible move.Warriorsgames have a solid formulathat changes little between titles, and their overall design has been refined over the past couple of decades. As usual developer Omega Force has proven, just about anything can be slotted into theWarriorsformula and work well. The actual quality and wider appeal of each resulting title is up in the air, but strong franchises with assistance from Nintendo and sometimes other teams at Tecmo have produced high-quality results.
Warriorsgames owned by Nintendo also fill several niches that its lineup does not usually cover.Dynasty Warriorsis the face of the modern hack-and-slash genre, and there’s no reason not to go straight for the source if Nintendo wants to cover that base. These titles also provide moreaction-RPG elements than Nintendo’s normal fare. The sole focus on action combat coupled with detailed progression and equipment systems combine to reach an audience that Nintendo might otherwise miss.Warriorsspin-offs also serve as filler in the release schedule that can be a hit with fans and receive additional monetization. Getting into theWarriorsspace was a smart move by Nintendo, and its results should help Koei Tecmo’s projects in turn.
Where Nintendo Warriors Titles Can Go From Here
With all theWarriorsspin-off success, it would make sense for Nintendo to commission more games. A new NintendoWarriorstitle could be released every few years, depending on how much new content has to be developed. A unique franchise adaptation would take longer to plan out and create than aproper newHyrule Warriors, for example. However, current efforts have been limited toThe Legend of ZeldaandFire Emblem, with no indication of spreading to other franchises. The topic has been broached by Koei Tecmo, with statements saying it would be willing to tackle Nintendo’s other franchises in the future.
One of the best parts of theWarriorsgames is how applicable their formula is. “Super Smash Warriors” is easy to conceptualize and could serve as a jumping-off point for severalWarriorsgames.Super Mario Warriorswould require some alterations to the usual formula, but seeing aWarriorsgame with strong platformer elements could be interesting.Pokemon Warriorswould slot well intoPokemon’s spin-off library, and the franchise has no shortage of characters. EvenKirby Warriorsfeels like it would work with Kirby’s copy abilities and allies filling out the roster. After several games, Nintendo’sWarriorsspin-offs still have an enormous amount of untapped potential.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopesreleases for Nintendo Switch on June 20, 2025.
