The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time arriving November

Nintendo fully detailed its upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time yesterday, complete with a launch date.

The Ocarina plays its tune

If you’re unaware, 2026 is The Legend of Zelda‘s 40th anniversary. Yes, it’s really been that long. The original game launched for the NES way back in 1986, setting up what would be a series for the ages. The property remains one of Nintendo’s biggest, and claims legions of fans around the world. So, naturally, its 40th would have to be marked with something special.

That “something special”, as it was announced this past summer, would be a full remake of one of the series’ biggest fan-favorite titles. At the time, Nintendo revealed next to nothing about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (2026), though that’s changed considerably.

Yesterday saw to that, as the gaming giant held a special Nintendo Direct that focused exclusively on all things Zelda. That did include a few extra notes, though the star of the show was the game itself. Leaping from the Nintendo 64, Ocarina of Time is being brought into the modern age for the Switch 2. That leap will include some freshly added gameplay elements, and of course a full visual and auditory make-over.

Remade with completely overhauled visuals, fully voiced cutscenes, expanded character dialogue, symphonic orchestral music, reworked camera and movement controls, and more, Link’s milestone 1998 adventure has been reborn for a whole new era. The first print run of the physical version will commemorate the release with special packaging that features textured foil cover art, available while supplies last.

Nintendo press release

A whole new game?

So, what’d you think of that trailer? We agree that it could be argued that the original game didn’t need a remake at all. After all, the original was stellar, and easily one of the best games for the N64. Nevertheless though, this new edition is looking pretty great.

The visuals are gorgeous, looking even better than the likes of Tears of the Kingdom. And that’s just the half of it, since there are those updated elements, which sound like they should make the 2026 version of Ocarina of Time play fairly different from the N64 classic. This new incarnation will allow for jumping, running, and even greater camera control.

There’s a fair bit of ‘new’ in terms of audio as well. Nintendo says that characters are fully voiced this time around, and will star in expanded cut-scenes. There’s also a greater level of interactivity with the title instrument, as players can actually hum a tune that Link has learned in the game, to get him playing it on the Ocarina. It’s also an innovation that’ll work with the upcoming electronic Ocarina accessory/instrument. More on that in a bit though.

Keeping this section to the game, there’s also a new tapestry to chat about. Via that, fans can keep track of the “Threads of Time”, according to Nintendo. What’s that mean? Well, basically, said tapestry will tell players all about their progress, and lead to their next objectives. Nothing groundbreaking there, but it sounds like a nice addition.

If you’re up for a return to one of the best-loved Zelda titles ever, get ready, because it’s heading to the Switch 2 fast. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be out for the Holiday Season, landing on November 5th, 2026.

More Zelda goodness

Along with the game, will come an onslaught of accessories and hardware. If you know Nintendo’s bigger game launches, then you know what to expect there. Look for a The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time-branded Nintendo Switch 2 console, as well as Pro Controller, and a carrying case for when the Switch 2‘s in handheld mode.

There’ll even be a stand for the controller, if you want to get really fancy about things.

Then there’s the Ocarina we mentioned above. Or maybe, we should say Ocarina‘s’, plural, since there’ll be two of them. Available at retail later this year, but still without a launch date, the Ocarinas will offer fans the ability to interact with a reasonable facsimile of the item from the game. Though the two will do that in some very different ways.

From accessory-maker HORI, the first offering will allow fans to play full songs at the touch of a button. Don’t worry if you’d rather play your own tunes though, as it’ll also allow for separate button presses, to activate individual notes.

Prefer to play it old school? That’s what the second Ocarina is for, as it’s ready to be played by the “musically inclined”.

That’s not all though, as Amiibo will be making a return for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Just don’t expect ’em at launch. Both Young Link and Young Zelda figures will arrive for use with the game, unlocking “special in-game masks that evoke a retro graphical style”, some time in 2027. They’re not all that’s on tap in the realm of Amiibo either.

Don’t forget that Mineru’s Construct is coming up this month, from the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game.

The full show

Want even more? Well, there’s a ton more Zelda coming this year, and into 2027. That includes a concert series, fresh LEGO sets, updates to the Nintendo Today app, an electronic Master Sword replica from Hasbro, and of course the big screen movie. That opens in theaters on April 30th, 2027, by the way.

To get the full scoop on all of the above, and even more, check out the full video presentation via the player below.