Nintendo was concerned Hyrule Warriors would damage the Zelda brand

Hyrule Warriors was a pretty surprising title when it was first revealed. No one really expected to see the Legend of Zelda and Dynasty Warriors franchises tie up, but the end result was a supremely fun hack-and-slash with plenty of Zelda style. That’s why it’s a bit crazy to learn Nintendo had some serious concerns about the game prior to launch.

In the latest episode of the Kit and Krysta Podcast, former Nintendo employees Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang shared some insight into the various worries Nintendo had about Hyrule Warriors before it made its way Wii U. Chief among those concerns was the idea that some Nintendo of America staffers felt the quality of the game might end up hurting the Legend of Zelda franchise name.

Apparently those fears were so strong that some NoA staffers even thought Hyrule Warriors shouldn’t see release in North America. Obviously cooler heads prevailed, as Hyrule Warriors did launch worldwide, and it ended up being one of the bigger titles on the Wii U. In fact, Nintendo was so happy with the game that they ported it to the 3DS and Switch, and then followed it up with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.