šØ Weāre live blogging all the news from Nintendoās Zelda 40th anniversary Direct
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āļø The Zelda Direct is likely to showcase the upcoming Zelda movie and Ocarina of Time remake
š Another Nintendo Direct takes place tomorrow that focuses on Switch 2 releases this winter
10:34 AM: Wow, itās shaping up to be great isnāt it. Nintendo is ending the show with a new trailer for The Ocarina of Time. I donāt know about you, but this is going to sell gangbusters. Watch out, GTA 6!
And that concludes The Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary Direct. What did you think? Let me know in the poll below. And donāt forget, Iāll be back to do it all again tomorrow as thereās another Nintendo Direct. Pinch me, I must be dreaming.
10:30 AM: And yep, weāre getting a limited-edition Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, and carrying case. Itās out October 29, 2026. Remember, the game isnāt included.
10:29 AM: Two new amiibo are coming: Young Link and Young Zelda, which unlock the original N64 faces to wear as masks.
10:28 AM: A look at the Zelda Notes app, which was introduced for the Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Editions. You can use it to find certain locations and earn points to unlock music scores. Basically, Nintendo wants everyone to become a master of the ocarina. There are also questions to complete, 2,000 of them to be exact. You can earn Rupees by completing them.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake release date
10:24 AM: Oh, another big change. Characters are fully voiced during certain conversations. And the release date! Itās out November 5, 2026. Thatās a few weeks before that other game thatās also releasing in Novemberā¦
10:22 AM: Thereās a lot of new areas, back alleys, and even a dynamic weather system when youāre in the town, which didnāt happen in the original. Linkās testing out the Ocarina now, which is the most important item in the game. He played the Sun song, which turned night into day. Oh, thatās fun. You can use the Switch 2 mic to hum the songs Link has learnt and heāll play them. Nintendo is also selling an ocarina replica, which the game will respond to! Neat.
10:20 AM: Nintendo says it kept loading screens between areas to keep the feel of the original game. And then shows off Hyrule Field, which is simply stunning. A new feature called āThreads of Timeā lets you see your progress youāve made in the story and what your next objective is. A large tapestry will eventually be filled in as you go. A look at Hyrule Castle Town now. Itās a bustling area now, and no longer has a fixed camera.
10:16 AM: Navi, the fairy who provides tips and hints, will still give you advice when you need it. Hopefully, sheāll be less intrusive this time around. After advancing through the Deku Tree, Link opens and treasure chest and gets the Slingshot. You can aim the Slingshot using motion controls.
10:14 AM: A look inside the store, as Link buys some Deku Nuts. Weāre running towards the Great Deku tree now, and wow. For someone who grew up playing Ocarina of Time, the visuals are astonishing for a console that is also a handheld.
10:13 AM: Okay, weāre getting a look at the Ocarina of Time remake now. Donāt panic. Eiji Aonuma is playing the game now. The visuals look insane. Nintendo has aimed for a mix of realism and how the original game looked. The comments section on YouTube seems to be impressed. New dialogue has been added, and Link can now jump at the press of a button, which is a big change. You also have a completely free camera, and Link can swim and dive.
10:08 AM: The legendary Koji Kondo is up next, and heās chatting about the gameās music. I donāt think heās ever composed a bad track. A series of concerts will take place for the 40th anniversary, featuring a variety of music. Theyāre taking place across Japan, then North America in February, Europe in April, and Australia in May.
10:07 AM: Nintendo is bringing the Zelda celebrations to its Nintendo Musuem. A Link & Epona LEGO set, amiibo, art book, and more are also on the way.
10:07 AM: The Zelda celebrations will begin this year and run into the next. Weāre now getting a look at The Legend of Zelda movie, which is out in theatres April 30, 2027. The title isā¦ The Legend of Zelda. Thereās no subtitle, which Miyamoto said will make sense after we see the film. More details will arrive later, which is a suprise.
10:04 AM: Does The Legend of Zelda series have the best Nintendo soundtrack? Possibly. Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto is here, talking about the 40th anniversary. The first Zelda game was created in 1986! I was born a year later. Yes, Iām old!
10:01 AM: A montage of Zelda games is playing in the background. Thereās Ocarina of Time, a Link to the Past, Echoes of Wisdom, and Breath of the Wild to name but a few.
10:00 AM: Over 400,000 people are locked in, and thereās quite a few of you keeping up with this live blog. Here we go! The show begins with a live orchestral performance of the classic Zelda theme.
9:57 AM: Probably the last game to get another push before the Zelda Direct is Star Fox. Iām ashamed to say I still havenāt picked this up, despite being a huge fan of the original. Iāve played the demo, at least, and really liked what I saw. Oh, wait, Nintendo is also highlighting its Pictonico mobile app, which turns your photos into WarioWare-style minigames, and the Nintendo Today! app.
9:55 AM: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 ā Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is up next, and itās quite an impressive upgrade. The game was super blurry in handheld mode on the Switch and wasnāt much clearer when docked. It definitely benefits from a resolution and frame rate bump on Switch 2.
9:53 AM: Nintendo advertising Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition ā Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Splatoon Raiders now. Splatoon Raiders appears to be extremely popular with players, though itās unclear how well itās sold. Iām sure itāll have performed well in Japan, where Splatoon, Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 were all hugely successful.
9:51 AM: With less than 10 minutes to go, thereās already over 150,000 people watching the stream on YouTube. Nintendo scared everyone by playing an ad for Fire Emblem: Fortuneās Weave, which is out in September, and the Virtual Boy. I still canāt believe they brought back the Virtual Boy.
9:43 AM: Itās almost time for The Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary Nintendo Direct! Iām trying to keep my expectations in check, but I canāt help but be excited for the Ocarina of Time remake. Itās such a timeless, generational masterpiece that so many players remember, and Iām confident Nintendo will give it the love, care, and attention it deserves.
Iām less optimistic about the Zelda movie, admittedly. Even though video game adaptations have gotten significantly better over the years, I canāt imagine itāll achieve even half the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but I could be wrong.
7:35 AM: If youād like to tune in and watch all the Zelda-themed goodness happen live, the show begins at 7am PT / 10am ET / 3pm BST / 4pm CEST. Itās set to last 30 minutes, which is plenty of time for Nintendo to hit us with a slew of Zelda announcements, including a look at the highly anticipated Ocarina of Time remake.
Hey, listen!
5:34 AM: Good morning, Zelda fans! Whoās ready to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of Nintendoās most iconic franchises? Today, Nintendo is hosting a special Direct dedicated to our hero Link and his beloved princess Zelda, and we should be in for a treat.
Weāre expecting to get our first proper look at the live-action Legend of Zelda movie, which arrives in cinemas on April 30, 2027. Nintendo will also show The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake in more detail, which will rival GTA 6 as one of the biggest game releases of the year.
Expect other Zelda-themed tie-ins and promotions during the 30-minute broadcast, including a limited-edition Switch 2 console bundle, and maybe even some more game reveals. Twilight Princess HD and The Wind Waker HD on Switch 2 would be nice, Nintendo.
Iāll be covering all the announcements as they happen right here on The Shortcut, so make sure you refresh the page regularly to get new updates. Donāt forget to subscribe and help support our work, which is written by humans and completely ad-free!
Up next: Nintendo Music game list: every soundtrack available
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcutās Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadarās Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.
I hope the preorder for the console and pro controller will be easier to get.