Nintendo Brings The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Its N64 Masterpiece, to Switch 2 in 2026

Nintendo opened its June 9 Direct with a range of updates and new projects, yet one segment stood apart for how little it actually showed. A short teaser confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will arrive as a full remake built exclusively for the Switch 2, with release planned for later in 2026.

The teaser was more about setting the tone than it was about providing information, as the narrator tells us about life among the Kokiri, a planet where every child has a fairy companion save for one outcast child, Link. We all agree on the vision of young Link fast asleep in his bed, with a faint glow coming from the Triforce in his palm. The screen then transitions to a sharp, smooth logo, with no indication of actual gameplay action.

Nintendo followed up on the teaser with a clear statement: the N64 classic will return for a whole new generation in 2026, rebuilt and reborn only for the Switch 2. That is why the term “remade and reborn” is so meaningful. It denotes more than a well-polished port or a quick visual upgrade. No, this is a full-fledged remake in the works, due to come out just as the Switch 2 develops popularity and the Zelda franchise celebrates its 40th anniversary.

The original, released in 1998, had a lasting impact on how people perceived 3D worlds in games, because to its combination of exploration, innovative dungeons, and a story that bridged the past and present. When it reappeared in 2011 on the 3DS, it still looked and felt amazing, despite the very real limitations that portable hardware imposes. However, ’26 is an entirely new ballgame. This remake has the potential to test the limits of modern hardware, bringing serious graphics power and smooth gameplay to the table.

At the time, little is known about what kind of graphical enhancements we can expect, much alone any control modifications or dungeon changes. We still don’t have a specific release date for this item, only a general idea that it will be somewhere in ’26, but considering the placement of the teaser in this Direct, a holiday release appears to be a strong possibility; price was also a no-show.

Early indications from what we’ve seen suggest that they’re moving away from the highly stylized, painting-inspired look of some of the more recent open-world Zelda games and toward something more grounded and realistic. If they continue in this direction, the remake might feel significantly different from the N64 version, as well as games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.