Nintendo Direct confirms Ocarina of Time remake — Switch 2 lineup expands for 2026

Australian Nintendo fans had a late-night showcase with plenty to process, and the biggest payoff was saved for the final minutes. Nintendo confirmed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026, after months of heavy rumours. The 50-minute Direct also brought Kingdom Hearts 4 gameplay, a new Xenoblade game, major third-party ports and a clearer picture of what Switch 2 owners can expect through the second half of the year.

Context & Background

The showcase arrived after Summer Game Fest and at a moment when Nintendo’s late-2026 release calendar still had visible gaps. Before the Direct, several games already had dates, including Star Fox on June 25, Rhythm Heaven Groove on July 2 and Splatoon Raiders on July 23, but the rest of the year needed stronger anchors.

For Australian viewers, the Direct landed at inconvenient but familiar gaming-news hours: midnight AEST on Wednesday, June 10 for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart and Canberra, 11:30pm ACST in Adelaide and Darwin, and 10:00pm AWST in Perth. The main presentation ran for roughly 50 minutes, followed by a Nintendo Treehouse: Live session listed at about 95 minutes.

Here's What Happened

Nintendo opened with Rhythm Heaven Groove, a Switch release due July 2 with more than 80 rhythm games and support for multiplayer modes. The early section then moved quickly through Switch 2 titles, including Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword on September 25 and Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen on October 9.

The middle of the Direct was heavy on release dates. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is set for September 17, Big Walk arrives on August 4, Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition launches on June 23, Lies of P: Complete Edition arrives on August 6, and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is due on October 22 with 12 sports, including boxing, archery, bowling, basketball, golf, skateboarding and thumb wrestling.

Square Enix had a large presence. Final Fantasy Resonance, described as a new HD-2D turn-based RPG, is due October 22, while Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World launches December 3. Kingdom Hearts Collection I to III comes to Switch 2 on October 8, and Kingdom Hearts 4 appeared with gameplay, though no release date was given.

The closing reveal was the headline moment. Nintendo showed a brief tease of Link asleep in his hut and described the Nintendo 64 classic as returning for a new generation in 2026, rebuilt exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2.

The Response

The reaction within live coverage was split between excitement over the biggest names and questions about how brief the Ocarina of Time teaser was. Viewers saw enough to confirm the remake, but Nintendo did not provide a specific release date beyond 2026.

That uncertainty matters because several other games in the showcase did receive firm dates. When a title as recognisable as Ocarina of Time is positioned as the final reveal but only shown briefly, it signals that Nintendo wants the game to carry attention beyond this Direct.

The Bigger Picture

For Switch 2 owners in Australia, the Direct turned a vague second half of 2026 into a packed buying calendar. Between Star Fox, Splatoon Raiders, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy Resonance, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, Dragon Quest Monsters and the Zelda remake, Nintendo now has a stronger spread across action, RPG, family sports and nostalgia-driven releases.

The third-party support is also significant. Switch 2 versions of games such as Space Marine 2, Stellar Blade, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Minecraft, Lords of the Fallen 2 and Devil May Cry 5 suggest publishers are treating the new console as a more capable platform, not just a home for Nintendo’s own franchises.

The Road Ahead

The next confirmed follow-up is a Splatoon Raiders Direct on June 30, ahead of that game’s July 23 launch. Nintendo also said more details on the Ocarina of Time remake will come later.

For players planning purchases, the practical takeaway is simple: the Switch 2 calendar now has multiple major dates from June through December, with Zelda still sitting as the biggest undated 2026 release.