Ocarina of Time today: Nintendo confirms Switch 2 remake for 2026

Nintendo announced a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 during its June 2026 Nintendo Direct on Tuesday. The reveal confirms months of rumours around one of the most celebrated games in the Zelda series, though Nintendo has shared only a narrow first look so far.

The remake is set to launch in 2026, with more details promised later. For Canadian Switch 2 owners, the announcement puts a landmark Nintendo 64 adventure back at the centre of the console's early library.

The Full Story

The announcement landed during a Nintendo Direct that had already drawn heavy attention from fans watching for Switch 2 updates. Earlier speculation focused on whether the long-rumoured Ocarina of Time remake would appear during the showcase, and the Direct finally answered that question: the Nintendo 64 classic is returning for a new generation.

What Nintendo showed was brief. Multiple reports described a short trailer rather than a full gameplay presentation, with scenes built around the game's opening premise: Hyrule, the Kokiri forest, a boy without a fairy, and Young Link waking as the Triforce mark appears. The footage pointed to a major visual overhaul, with a look described as more realistic and distinct from the painterly style of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Nintendo has not confirmed a firm release date, price, gameplay changes, or whether the remake adds new content. That matters because Ocarina of Time is not just another catalogue title. The original 1998 release helped move Zelda from a 2D, top-down format into full 3D environments, and its target-lock combat system became a model for later 3D adventure games.

This is also not the first time Nintendo has returned to the game. A 2011 version for Nintendo 3DS updated the graphics and added quality-of-life improvements, while the original has also been made available through earlier Nintendo platforms and the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service.

Who's Involved

Nintendo is the central company behind the remake, and the game is being positioned as an exclusive release for Nintendo Switch 2. Link, the green-clad hero at the heart of the original, returns in the trailer as Young Link, while the story again centres on Hyrule, Princess Zelda, and the threat of Ganondorf.

The announcement also sits inside a wider Zelda push. Recent franchise entries include 2023's Tears of the Kingdom, 2024's Echoes of Wisdom, and the hack-and-slash title Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Nintendo also has a live-action Zelda movie planned for 2027, with Bo Bragason listed as Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link.

Remake

A new version rebuilt or heavily updated from an older game, often with new visuals and modern systems.

Target-lock system

A combat feature that lets players focus on a single enemy, making movement and attacks easier to manage in 3D space.

Switch 2 exclusive

A game released specifically for Nintendo's newer Switch 2 hardware rather than the original Switch.

By the Numbers

1998 was the year Ocarina of Time first launched on Nintendo 64. Its reputation has held for decades, with the game regularly cited among the best ever made and listed with a 99 percent score on Metacritic in the supplied reporting.

The remake is tied to 2026, the 40th anniversary year of The Legend of Zelda series. The wider franchise has sold more than 140 million games worldwide, while Tears of the Kingdom was described as the fastest-selling instalment in the series.

What This Means

For Nintendo, remaking Ocarina of Time gives Switch 2 a nostalgia-heavy release with broad appeal: longtime players remember the jump to 3D Hyrule, while younger fans may know Zelda mainly through the open-world era of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. That bridge between generations is the big play here.

For Canadian players, the practical takeaway is simple: anyone considering a Switch 2 now has another major first-party title to watch in 2026. The unanswered questions are the ones that will shape buying decisions later: how much the remake costs, how much gameplay has changed, and whether Nintendo keeps the original structure or expands it.

The pressure is real because the original helped define modern 3D adventure design. A faithful remake could preserve what fans love, but a deeper rebuild could make the game feel less dated for players coming from newer Zelda entries.

What to Expect

Nintendo has confirmed the remake for 2026 and said more details will be announced later. Based on the material shown so far, the next confirmed step is a fuller explanation of gameplay, release timing, and whether the remake includes new content beyond its visual overhaul.