A new Legend of Zelda title is in-development for Wii U, but it’s probably something no one expected- a Zelda/Dynasty Warriors hybrid from Tecmo Koei currently titled “Hyrule Warriors”.

The December edition of Nintendo Direct aired this morning, featuring new details about several titles dated for Spring 2014 and beyond. Ever since a brief Wii U software demo featuring Link appeared at E3 2011, fans have speculated that a new HD Zelda game was being secretly crafted behind Nintendo’s doors; The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker has since been given an HD release, but nothing “original” has yet to appear on the console. During Nintendo Direct, a surprise announcement was made, regarding a collaborative project between Nintendo and fighting-game and Dynasty Warriors veteran Tecmo Koei:

While an official title has not been given outside of Japan, Tecmo Koei is currently developing “Hyrule Warriors”, a 3rd-person free-form action game based within the realm of Hyrule; players control Link in what appears to be a game-engine heavily influenced by the Dynasty Warriors series, complete with special strikes, magical abilities, and hordes of enemies on-screen:

According to Siliconera, “Hyrule Warriors” has already been titled “Zelda Musou” in Japan, which literally translates to “Zelda Warriors”.

Sources: Nintendo Direct, Siliconera
Image courtesy of Nintendo, Tecmo Koei