Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is out soon for Nintendo Switch 2, giving Zelda fans the chance to play as the iconic princess in a Musou hack-and-slash that takes place before the events of Tears of the Kingdom. The game is set to launch on November 6, but if you live in the United States (specific regions), you'll be able to play a little earlier.

Here's a guide on the global launch times for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (if you're buying the game digitally on the Switch 2 eShop).

Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment Switch 1
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What Time is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Coming Out?

Age of Imprisonment Release Times

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Nintendo doesn't officially post release times on social media like most other developers and publishers do. Still, if you check out the official Nintendo support page for eShop releases, the release time for digital software that is also sold physically (such as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment) will be at 9 PM PT the night before launch. However, if you are not in the US/Western time zone, the release time will be midnight local time on November 6.

Here's a chart that goes over the global launch times for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment:

Region / Time Zone

Local Release Time/Date

Los Angeles / PT

9 PM - November 5

Denver / MT

10 PM - November 5

Chicago / CT

11 PM - November 5

NYC / ET

12 AM - November 6

London / BST

12 AM - November 6

Berlin / CEST

12 AM - November 6

Tokyo / JST

12 AM - November 6

Sydney / AEST

12 AM - November 6

Auckland / NZST

12 AM - November 6

Can You Play Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Early?

eShop promo art on Switch

Yes, there is a way to get your hands on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment earlier than other people, but it involves pulling the ol' New Zealand trick on your Switch.

If you live in the US, you can create a new eShop account with New Zealand set as your region, then purchase digital eShop cards in the region's currency online. You can then buy and install the game in the wee hours of the day before launch (Wednesday) using your "fake" account.

The process isn't the simplest, but it might be worth it for the hardcore Zelda fans who want to get into the game as early as possible. I did the trick to play Pokemon Legends: Z-A early, and it worked without much trouble.

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Hyrule Warriors - Age of Imprisonment Tag Page Cover Art
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Action
Hack and Slash
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
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Released
November 6, 2025
ESRB
Teen / Fantasy Violence
Developer(s)
Koei Tecmo
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
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Hyrule Warriors - Age of Imprisonment Press Image 1
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
Action, Hack and Slash