If Nintendo has been all over your feed the past day, there’s a very clear reason why. The Nintendo Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct aired on September 8, 2026, and it delivered one of the most anticipated confirmations in years, a full remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Switch 2. And Nintendo isn’t done yet, a second Direct focused on the console’s winter lineup is airing September 9, keeping Nintendo squarely in the trending conversation for a second straight day.
Here’s everything that came out of the Zelda anniversary showcase, and why it matters.
Ocarina of Time Is Officially Coming to Switch 2
The centerpiece of the Nintendo Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct was a full, ground up remake of Ocarina of Time, the 1998 Nintendo 64 classic widely considered one of the best video games ever made.
- Release date confirmed for November 5, 2026
- Launching exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2
- Priced at $59.99 in the US
- Series producer Eiji Aonuma led a 15 minute gameplay demo before the trailer dropped
- Described as a faithful reinterpretation using modern technology, rather than a from scratch reimagining
The remake brings rebuilt visuals, revised camera and movement controls, voiced cutscenes, and expanded dialogue, while intentionally keeping the core feel of the original quest intact. Fans have also noted the timing is a bit of a quiet win for Nintendo, since Ocarina of Time now beats Grand Theft Auto 6 to shelves by a couple of weeks, with GTA 6 landing November 19.
A New Switch 2 Console Is Joining the Celebration
Alongside the game itself, Nintendo confirmed a special anniversary console:
- The Nintendo Switch 2 – The Legend of Zelda – 40th Anniversary Edition arrives October 29, 2026, a week ahead of the game
- Instead of the gold finish Nintendo used for past Zelda hardware, this edition uses a gold and metallic green colorway
- The console does not come bundled with a copy of Ocarina of Time
- In line with Nintendo’s recent hardware changes, the anniversary console does not include a user replaceable battery
The Merch Train Has Fully Left the Station
Nintendo clearly wants this anniversary to be felt beyond the console itself:
- Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Pro Controllers, carrying cases, and screen protectors
- A playable ocarina, plus an electric ocarina from HORI that plays notes or full songs at the press of a button
- New amiibo figures of Young Link and Young Zelda arriving in 2027, unlocking retro style in-game masks
- A previously announced Mineru’s Construct amiibo for Tears of the Kingdom launching September 17
- A global Zelda 40th Anniversary concert tour and special programming at the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto
- Confirmation of an official title and an April 30, 2027 release date for the live action Zelda movie
The ZELDA NOTES App Gets an Upgrade Too
Nintendo also confirmed new features being added to its ZELDA NOTES companion app specifically for Ocarina of Time, including a “Today’s Record” tracker, a Gossip Quest feature, touchscreen ocarina playing, progress tracking tied to your save file, and an ocarina trivia quiz with more than 2,000 questions.
Why This Matters for Nintendo Right Now
Beyond the nostalgia factor, this Direct matters strategically. Nintendo is leaning hard on one of its most beloved franchises to anchor the Switch 2’s holiday lineup, and doing it through a genuinely broad rollout, hardware, merchandise, music, a museum tie-in, and a movie release date, all announced in the same 30 minute window. That’s a coordinated push, not just a game trailer.
It also sets up the September 9 Nintendo Direct with real anticipation. Ocarina of Time is clearly Nintendo’s headline holiday release, but rumors suggest the Switch 2’s winter lineup won’t rest on that single game alone, which is exactly why Nintendo has stayed at the center of trending conversations for two days running.
The Bottom Line
The Nintendo Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct answered a question fans had been asking for years, and it did it with a genuinely large scale celebration to match the milestone. With Ocarina of Time locked in for November 5 and a second Direct following almost immediately after, Nintendo has set up one of its busiest and most closely watched weeks of 2026.
We’ll be updating coverage as more details land from the September 9 Direct, so check back for the full rundown of Switch 2’s winter lineup.
More information on the official site: https://www.nintendo.com/us/
For more on how major tech and gaming announcements are shaping conversations this year, check out our recent roundup of new AI tools released in September 2026.
