After 27 years, the highest-rated game in history is getting a full remake. Here's every detail from the reveal trailer, the expected release window, and why this is Nintendo's biggest swing in a decade.
It finally happened. After 27 years, multiple re-releases, and an entire generation of fans begging for it, Nintendo officially announced The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake for Nintendo Switch 2 during this morning's Direct. It releases later this year.
The announcement came from Nintendo of America's newly appointed president, delivered live — a deliberate signal of how much weight Nintendo is putting behind this one. This isn't a port. This isn't a remaster. This is a full, ground-up remake of the most acclaimed game ever made.
What We Know
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 (exclusive)
- Release: 2026 — no firm date yet, holiday window expected
- Status: Full remake, not remaster
- More details: Coming soon, per Nintendo
Why This Is Enormous
Ocarina of Time launched in 1998 on the Nintendo 64 and has spent the 27 years since sitting at the top of nearly every "greatest games of all time" list. Its 99/100 Metacritic score remains the highest in gaming history — a record no game has touched in nearly three decades.
It has been re-released before: the GameCube collector's disc, the Wii Virtual Console, and the well-regarded 3DS remaster in 2011. But it has never been rebuilt. Every previous version was fundamentally the same N64 game with cosmetic touch-ups. This remake is Nintendo celebrating The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary the way fans actually demanded — by bringing back its most iconic entry as a modern game.
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What the Trailer Showed
The reveal trailer was short but dense. Here's what we caught:
- Updated visuals with modern lighting and texture work — think the Link's Awakening remake philosophy, but applied to full 3D environments rather than a diorama style
- Reimagined Hyrule Field, Kakariko Village, and Lon Lon Ranch — recognizably the same spaces, dramatically more alive
- Adult Link combat sequences with visibly refined animation and hit feedback
- Koji Kondo's original soundtrack, with what sounded like orchestral arrangements layered over familiar themes
- Switch 2-specific features — HD rumble throughout, and mouse-mode aiming for the slingshot and bow
The Anniversary Context
The Legend of Zelda turns 40 in 2026, and Nintendo has been conspicuously quiet about how it planned to mark the occasion. Now we know. Echoes of Wisdom handled the experimental side, the Zelda movie covers the mainstream side, and Ocarina of Time Remake is the centerpiece — the prestige release aimed at every player who ever drew the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time.
There's also a hardware story here. The Switch 2's first holiday season needs a system seller, and there is no safer bet in Nintendo's entire vault than this game. Pairing the remake with the console's first full holiday window is the most predictable decision Nintendo has made all year — and the smartest.
What We Don't Know Yet
Plenty. No firm date. No price. No confirmation of whether Master Quest is included, whether the infamous Water Temple has been redesigned, or whether Epona controls have been modernized. Nintendo says more details are coming soon, and given the launch window, we'd expect a dedicated deep-dive presentation by late summer.
We'll be covering every drop of news on this one. The most important game ever made is coming back, and it's coming back this year.