Highlights
- The Ocarina of Time remake gets a Nov 5, 2026, release date for Nintendo Switch 2.
- Nintendo is introducing gameplay and exploration changes to the classic Zelda adventure.
- The remake adds new features while retaining the original story and characters.
Nintendo will launch The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake on Nintendo Switch 2 on Nov 5, 2026, for $59.99 USD. The release date was announced during the 30-minute The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on Sept 8, which also included an early look at The Legend of Zelda film details.
Presented by producer Eiji Aonuma, the trailer showed how Nintendo has rebuilt the 1998 Nintendo 64 game with revamped visuals and expanded environments. The remake also introduces modernized gameplay while retaining the original story and characters.
Additional dialogue gives NPCs more character, with voiced cutscenes introducing spoken performances across the cast except Link.
Ocarina of Time Remake Adds Modern Gameplay
Link can now jump, swim, sprint, and dive, while a free camera gives players greater control during exploration. Combat has been updated with motion-controlled aiming for weapons such as the slingshot and easier weapon switching.
A day-and-night cycle also continues throughout Hyrule.
Kokiri Forest features new paths, denser vegetation, and a mini-map, whereas parts of Hyrule Castle Town that previously served as background scenery have become explorable areas. Hyrule Field provides views of Hyrule Castle and Death Mountain. The Great Deku Tree also receives updated lighting and textures, with Aonuma demonstrating combat against Deku Babas.
Threads of Time Track Progress
The ‘Threads of Time’ system uses a gradually completed tapestry to organize story progress and the next objective. Players can hum Ocarina melodies through the Switch 2 microphone, while Nintendo will sell a physical Ocarina through its store.
Despite the expanded environments, Nintendo is retaining loading screens between areas to preserve the structure of the original game.
