A breakdown of all the Zelda news from the 40th Anniversary Direct
Ocarina of Time remake release date, new amiibo, and a title for the upcoming Zelda movie!
This year marks the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda and to celebrate, Nintendo hosted a Direct livestream full of Zelda goodies, including a 15-minute gameplay demo for the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Gameplay
The star of the show is the Ocarina of Time remake gameplay demo featuring 15 minutes of gameplay hosted by producer Eiji Aonuma. The 15-minute demo opened with a look at Kokiri Forest and the new, updated visual style for the game. We also got a look at modern features like a fully controllable camera (remember kids, the N64 only had one joystick) and a dedicated jump button. This game does still feature the lock-on system, but paired with "snappier" gameplay due to the improved processing power of the Switch 2.
The demo also showed some changes to the larger world. Now, the interiors of shops and houses are accessible and free of the fade-to-black loading screens of the Nintendo 64 era. These loading screens only happen when moving between zones. Aonuma says that it was an intentional design decision to retain the feel of the original game.
After a quick look at Kokiri Forest and combat in the Great Deku Tree dungeon, the demo showed off Hyrule Fields on our way to Hyrule Castle Town, including the reveal that players can hold A to shift into a dash.
Here, Aonuma pauses to show us one of the new menu features of the game — the Threads of Time. Originally shown in the reveal trailer, the Threads of Time is a timeline and quest tracker that uncovers a tapestry outlining the story's events as players progress.
Once in Hyrule Castle Town, Aonuma takes us through the bustling city and explains that there will be more activities and minigames available for players to discover. Additionally, unlike the classic version of Ocarina, time continues to advance while in town, playing into the game's time-based mechanics.
Just like the original game, the ocarina is the heart of the game. Now, with the Switch 2's Joy-Con mics, players can hum along with the melody if they decide that memorizing the button prompts isn't quite their style. Beyond that, the game will also recognize any form of the song being played — including on a real ocarina that will be available for purchase when the game releases. Aonuma closes the demo by reminding us that playing Epona's Song will summon a horse for you to ride as an adult, but since the demo features Kid Link, a small pony jaunts up to the player. Whether we can ride it as Kid Link was unfortunately not revealed.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 releases on November 5th, 2026.
The Rest of the Direct
The show opened with a musical medley specially created for the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. We then jumped into a teaser for the new movie, aptly titled The Legend of Zelda, which is set to release on April 30th, 2027. Unlike the games, the film will have no subtitle. Shigeru Miyamoto said this is because it is based on "stories, ideas, and concepts of the series built up through the games for 40 years".
Next, an update on the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto. Beginning tomorrow and running for approximately one year, the tickets will feature new Zelda-themed designs and a new Zelda history board. New photo ops with the Master Sword and other attractions will be available in the fall.
New collectibles like the Legend of Zelda Museum book Volume 2, new Amiibos based on Tears of the Kingdom and Ocarina of Time, both a playable and an electronic ocarina based on the game, a new Lego set, Master Sword replica, and figures will all be available later this year.
A live concert series featuring music from the franchise's storied history will begin in Japan in January and will come to North America, Europe, and Australia over the course of the first half of 2027. Tickets will go on sale later this month.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will also be getting an entry in the Zelda Notes app. Similar to the Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom sections of the app, Zelda Notes will feature item trackers, quest logs, automated screenshots, and new daily quizzes for fans to partake in.
For those looking to collect hardware, there will be a limited edition The Legend of Zelda-themed Nintendo Switch 2 console and Switch 2 Pro Controller available on October 29th.
The show closed with a new trailer for the remake of The Ocarina of Time featuring a ton of locations from the first game and a look at Adult Link in action.
