The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s Switch 2 remake arrives on November 5, a date Nintendo confirmed at today’s Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct alongside the first real look at gameplay from series producer Eiji Aonuma. I said last week that I expected more details on the remake out of this broadcast, and Nintendo delivered a lot more than a date, with a 30-minute presentation that ran through hardware, amiibo, concerts, LEGO, and the movie. The June teaser only gave us a 2026 window, so this is the first concrete date the remake has had.
The 1998 original has been rebuilt with overhauled visuals down to individual textures, fully voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue for the characters Link meets, and a symphonic orchestral score. Movement gets dedicated jump and run buttons, the camera moves freely on the Right Stick, and the day and night cycle now keeps running inside towns. A new Threads of Time screen tracks story progress and your next objective through a tapestry that fills in as you go. The ocarina itself now responds to the Switch 2 microphone, so you can hum a melody Link has learned and he’ll play it back in the game. First print physical copies ship with textured foil cover art while supplies last.
A week before the game, on October 29, Nintendo is releasing a Switch 2 Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition system, along with matching Switch 2 Pro Controllers and a carrying case with screen protector, all carrying a Triforce design. The Pro Controller comes with or without a display stand, though the stand version is limited to Nintendo New York, Nintendo San Francisco, and the Nintendo Store. Two ocarinas follow later this year, a playable one and an electric version from Hori that plays notes or full songs at the press of a button, and both work with the game’s microphone feature. Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo land in 2027 and unlock retro-style masks in the remake, while the previously dated Mineru’s Construct amiibo for Tears of the Kingdom still arrives September 17.
Zelda Notes in the Nintendo Switch App is picking up Ocarina of Time support as well, with a daily record of accomplishments and enemy counts, a Gossip Quest mode that hands you a hint image and asks you to find the location in the game, a touchscreen virtual ocarina with shareable music scores via QR code, and a quiz with over 2,000 questions. The quiz is limited to once a day unless you spend in-game rupees for extra attempts.
Outside the game, a Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Concert series tours in 2027, starting with the Japan tour in Tokyo in January, then a North American tour in Chicago in February, a European tour starting in London in April, and an Australian tour kicking off in Melbourne in May. Nintendo Museum in Kyoto gets an anniversary ticket design from September 9, new photo ops from November 5, and a Super Family Restaurant opening this fall, with activities running for a full year. Starting tomorrow, the Nintendo Today! app hands out daily Legend of Zelda digital cards. On the merchandise side, LEGO’s next Zelda set after Final Battle is a 1,750-piece Link & Epona display model for spring 2027, and Hasbro has a 27-inch electronic Master Sword with more than 15 touch and motion sounds arriving the same season.
As for the live-action film, it keeps the April 30, 2027 release date, with Nintendo, Arad Productions, and Sony Pictures Entertainment attached and the title now officially just The Legend of Zelda. Nintendo isn’t done for the week, either. A standard Nintendo Direct airs tomorrow, September 9, at 7:00 AM Pacific (10:00 AM Eastern), followed by a Nintendo Treehouse: Live session. The full anniversary rundown is at zelda40th.nintendo.com, and the remake is available to preorder now from the Nintendo Store and Nintendo eShop.
