Hyrule Warriors[a] is a 2014 hack and slash game developed by Omega Force and Team Ninja and published by Nintendo for the Wii U.

[4] Amongst many other characters, the player controls an original iteration of Link in melee combat to take on large numbers of enemies from the Legend of Zelda series.

An update released on the game's launch date added "Challenge Mode", which encourages players to collect as many rupees as possible in a set scenario.

As a result, Cia becomes consumed in her desires, opening the Gate of Souls, a portal to different time-space realities of Hyrule, to amass an army of monsters.

Seeking to unite the Triforce and conquer Hyrule, she uses her subordinates Wizzro and Volga to wage war against Princess Zelda and the Hylian army.

As Cia's forces attack Hyrule Castle, Link, a Hyrulian soldier-in-training, rushes out to aid the other troops and discovers he possesses the Triforce of Courage.

While searching, Link and Impa meet Sheik, a Sheikah warrior who claims to know Zelda's whereabouts, and Lana, a sorceress from the same clan as Cia.

The group heads to the Valley of Seers hoping to close the Gate of Souls, but Cia traps Link and Sheik, the latter of whom is revealed as the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom.

To restore Hyrule to normal, Link, Impa, and Lana each lead their own campaign to drive out Cia's armies and close the Gates of Souls in each era.

Using the completed Triforce's power, the time-displaced heroes are sent back to their own periods and Hyrule is restored to normal, with Lana once again closing the Gate of Souls.

As she continues to get lost, she runs into many of the heroes from Hyrule's past and aids them, such as helping Fi prevent the Imprisoned's summoning, protecting Ruto and Darunia from an ambush by Volga's forces, and briefly restoring Midna to her true form.

When they are attacked by an invincible Dark King Dodongo, Linkle's compass suddenly reacts and purifies the creature, allowing them to defeat it and drive the monsters off.

At the same time, a new rift is opened and pulls pieces of the Great Sea landscape from The Wind Waker into Hyrule, with many of the islands fusing together.

Link pursues the bird to the Gerudo Desert and rescues Tetra with help from Lana, who had come to close the open Gates of Souls and find clues as to why Cia vanished.

Lana frees the real Cia from the darkness, who explains her magic was stolen after her defeat by Phantom Ganon, the true mastermind behind the recent events, which had caused her to disappear.

Tetra and the King are returned to their native time, and Cia is brought back to the castle, where she, Link, and Zelda use the Triforce to restore Hyrule to normal.

In contrast to previous collaborations, Nintendo was confident in Koei Tecmo's ability to make the game, leading them to have "far more expectations than uncertainties".

[22] Part of the reason behind Aonuma's strong support of Hyrule Warriors is an ongoing push by him to break away from many traditions that have become attached to the Zelda franchise since its inception.

[23] Koei Tecmo's president Yoichi Erikawa said that he hoped Hyrule Warriors would appeal to fans of both franchises and go on to sell at least one million copies.

[24] Hyrule Warriors was publicly displayed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014 with a new trailer, in which Agitha, Lana, and Midna were confirmed as playable characters.

[31] The female version, officially named Linkle, was later announced for Hyrule Warriors Legends during the Nintendo Direct web stream in November 2015.

The first special edition, the "Premium Box", features a copy of the game, an art book, a Triforce-shaped clock and two extra costumes for the character.

Players who registered the game on Club Nintendo within the first month of release received costumes for Ganondorf based on Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess.

The game has since received a series of free updates that add several other features, such as a higher level cap, new character and weapon skins, and additional challenges.

[40] Throughout the year 2016, four new DLC packs for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game were released, containing additional Adventure Mode maps, characters, costumes, and more.

[47][48][49] The game features a new "My Fairy" system and an additional Adventure Mode map inspired by The Wind Waker, as well as more costumes and a new Trident weapon for Ganondorf.

Miguel Concepcion of GameSpot praised the "delightful Legend of Zelda fan service from beginning to end" while still managing to be "a fine Dynasty Warriors spin-off in its own right".

[71] Jim Sterling of The Escapist praised the great variety compared to other Warriors titles, noting the "meaty combat system" and different styles between each playable character, calling the game "a mad idea that should logically get old after an hour, but never does",[106] while Chris Carter of Destructoid called the amount of fan service "staggering" and being particularly favorable towards the cooperative gameplay modes.

[66] Jose Otero of IGN also enjoyed the cross-over, in what he states "makes me feel powerful in a world I love", yet in contrast noted an issue with cooperative play, particularly with the player using the Wii U GamePad such as a lower resolution and slow down.

[83] Lorenzo Veloria of GamesRadar however was less favorable of the gameplay ties to the Warriors series that despite "brilliant Zelda fan-service" called the combat "unimaginative" and repetitive,[73] while Dan Ryckert of Giant Bomb felt that the mission variety was "basic" and full of "mindless slashing".