In its recent Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary showcase, Nintendo confirmed the highly-anticipated Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Nintendo Switch 2 will officially launch on 5 November – much sooner than anyone expected.
This second remake (following in the footsteps of the 2011 remake for 3DS) was first announced in a Nintendo Direct in June, with the assumption it would be a major 2027 release. As it turns out, development was far more progressed than initially revealed and we only have to wait a few more weeks to see more of the game.
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake dated – quick links
What to know about the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake
As shared in its new major trailer, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake shares the grand spirit of the original adventure, with a refreshed doll-like art style and an expanded scope.
As before, players will embody the young hero Link as he charts two separate timelines to defeat the evil of Ganondorf.
The new trailer spotlighted an array of iconic moments from the original game, including the appearance of the Water Temple, a fabled region most famous for being very complex. As anyone who’s played Ocarina of Time will know, this is one of the hardest parts of the game, thanks to a series of interlocking switches that control the inner water level, that must be manipulated in the right order.
The art style is a big change, as it packs in loads of semi-realistic details that weren’t present in the more cartoonish original adventure and its remake, but it does seem to lend a real sense of style and grandeur. We expect this remake will reveal the original vision and planned scope for the game, free from the limitations of the technology available in its birth year, 1998.
In all, the latest Nintendo Direct was a good showing for this upcoming game, with the added surprise of its imminent launch.
Other Zelda news announced in the latest NIntendo Direct
As well as revealing more of this upcoming game, Nintendo also revealed a slate of other news and announcements for Legend of Zelda fans.
One of the bigger reveals was for a global concert series featuring musicians performing an array of songs from Legend of Zelda games. The tour will kick off in Japan on 23 January 2027 and will then tour throughout North America and Europe. It will arrive in Australia on 13 May, with the first shows taking place in Melbourne.
Nintendo also announced physical goodies during the showcase: a working ocarina, a battery-powered ocarina, new amiibo figures for Link, Zelda and other characters, a Nintendo Museum Official Book featuring The Legend of Zelda, and new Lego, Huzzle and Hasbro figures.
Digital goodies include a virtual ocarina mode for the Nintendo Switch app.
Elsewhere in the showcase, Nintendo also hyped up the live-action Legend of Zelda film with a logo reveal. This is set to release in theatres on 30 April 2027.
Overall, this was a solid showcase for the Legend of Zelda franchise, underlining some strong new developments for devoted fans. In the coming months, Nintendo will celebrate the series in a variety of ways, with plenty to indulge in.
