Nintendo has officially pulled back the curtain on one of its worst-kept secrets: a full remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is headed to the Switch 2, with a release planned for later this year. The announcement came during the company’s summer Nintendo Direct presentation on June 9, putting to rest months of speculation that had been building since earlier in 2026.
The reveal itself was notably restrained, consisting of a short cinematic teaser centered on the familiar tale of a young boy from the forest without a fairy companion. No gameplay footage was shown, and Nintendo indicated that further details would be shared at a later date. Still, the confirmation alone was enough to generate significant excitement among fans of the long-running franchise.
This marks the third major release of the 1998 classic, which originally debuted on the Nintendo 64 before receiving a well-regarded remake on the 3DS in 2011. That handheld version introduced various quality-of-life improvements and a notably revised Water Temple, and is still widely considered the definitive way to experience the game. What enhancements and changes this new Switch 2 edition will bring remain to be seen.
The announcement didn’t come as a complete surprise. As GameSpot reports, prominent leaker Nate the Hate had flagged the remake earlier this year, alongside a report about a classic-style Star Fox title. That Star Fox prediction proved accurate when Nintendo unveiled the game in May, lending considerable credibility to the Ocarina of Time rumor well before the official reveal.
It is difficult to overstate the significance of the original Ocarina of Time in gaming history. As the first 3D entry in the Zelda series, it established design principles that influenced not only its own franchise — including modern entries like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom — but the entire action-adventure genre. Its critical reception at launch was virtually unprecedented, and it remains a touchstone for game design discussions nearly three decades later.
The remake’s announcement arrived during a packed stretch for the industry, with Eurogamer noting that major showcases from PlayStation, Xbox, and Summer Game Fest all delivered substantial news in the same window. Nintendo also has a live-action Legend of Zelda film in the pipeline, directed by Wes Ball and produced by series creator Shigeru Miyamoto, currently slated for an April 2027 theatrical release.