Naming conventions are powerful things in storytelling, as they allow for special nuances within stories. Link can often be seen as the core "link" of many parts of the Zelda franchise, and perhaps even as a "link" for the overall timeline. As such, while it remains to be fully seen, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity may have huge implications for both the Zelda timeline, as well as the story direction of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.
After all, as many know, the Zelda timeline is complicated and features various reincarnations (of sorts) of Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf. Comments seem to suggest that the original Breath of the Wild serves as a sort-of catch-all at the end of the timeline, where they all seem to reconnect.
Sorting the Zelda Timeline with Age of Calamity, BotW, and BotW2
Breath of the Wild's placement on the Zelda timeline equally puts Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity in the same position, just 100 years before. Breath of the Wild 2 also occupies a similar slot, occurring seemingly just after the original game (barring any time shenanigans the franchise is known for). The seemingly obvious answer means that Age of Calamity could be setting up more context and plot for Breath of the Wild 2, but looking at the naming convention could add more nuance to that.
Age of Calamity is indubitably named after the rise and trapping of Calamity Ganon, but the title itself would also seemingly imply a forthcoming Age of Peace. After World War I, for example, the 1920s were known as the Roaring '20s for a while, indicating some prosperity before the Great Depression. The same logic could be applied here. Age of Calamity sets up a big war that eventually is resolved in BotW, with the possible restoration (pre-events of BotW2, of course) of Hyrule indicating a coming peace. Perhaps this will go even further, though.
Age of Calamity and BotW2
An Age of Calamity implying an Age of Peace is a working idea, not one ironclad, but if there's an inkling there, it could go even bigger. As aforementioned, the Zelda timeline truly began with a curse where "the spirit of the hero" "the blood of the godndss" and an "incarnation of Demise's Hatred" are frequently in battle and conflict. This has happened across every timeline, with Age of Calamity, BotW, and the sequel being the re-meeting point of various timelines.
Building off of that and the idea of an Age of Peace may mean that this Link, this Zelda, and this Ganondorf (assuming that's who is revived in the BotW2 trailer) could be the last ones. As the start began the timelines and they diverged because of these incarnations, as the timelines reconnect and move forward could see this end IF BotW2's plot revolves around ending the cycle than just ending this round. Of course, if this did come to fruition, the future of The Legend of Zelda would be far-different.
For now, this is just a simple theory. It'll be interesting to see what happens in Age of Calamity upon release, and eventually, Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. Fans will just have to wait and see there.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity releases November 20. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is in development.
