DLC, the abbreviation for post-release “downloadable content” for games, is fairly commonplace these days. But it turns out the DLC packs Pulse of the Ancients and Guardian of Remembrance for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity weren’t actually planned for release at first
In a recent interview with the Japanese publication Nintendo Dream, several members of the Age of Calamity development team revealed that plans for DLC were not in the works until after the game launched in November 2020. But soon afterward, many fans expressed interest in downloadable content. “Once the development cycle wrapped and the retail version was on sale, the development team disbanded,” admitted Producer Yosuke Hayashi.
“About a month after release, we received a lot of feedback on the game’s official website from fans wondering if there were any DLC plans for the game,” says Producer Masaki Furusawa. An English translation of the interview is available can be found here courtesy of Nintendo Everything.
For Hayashi, the request felt natural. Breath of the Wild, after all, had received its own DLC. According to Hayashi, the Zelda team had also expressed interest in making DLC. After ruminating on the idea, the Age of Calamity team decided to re-band together for the final curtain call, a process that artist Yu Oboshi joked was “absolute chaos.”
“With the team back together, we thought about the best way for fans to enjoy Hyrule Warriors even more,” explained Hayashi. “Our main focus was ideas that we couldn’t put in the main game. We decided on those ideas and used them as the focal point for development. It took about a year before things finally wrapped up.”
But how did the team fare? Was the impromptu decision worthwhile?
“In a word, I was ecstatic — they let us develop for the game again!” said director Ryouta Matsushita. “There was a sense of relief once development on the main game had finished, but to think that it was all over… I was a bit sad. With this DLC, I was thankful to be able to work with the team for one more year.”
“We always knew people wanted DLC for the game, and it was a relief when we finally got the go-ahead,” said Furusawa. “I was glad that we were able to deliver content that fans wanted.”
