Nintendo is reportedly lining up a The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2 as a major Holiday 2026 release—an idea that sounds like a guaranteed win on paper, but could be one of the company’s most precarious swings in years. The rumor comes from well-known leaker NateTheHate, and it lands at a moment when Nintendo’s 2026 slate is already being whispered about as nostalgia-forward: a “classic-style” Star Fox revival in summer, and no new 3D Mario until 2027.
If this remake is real, it’s not just another trip down memory lane. It’s Nintendo choosing to touch one of the most canonized games in the medium—again—and doing it on the cusp of the series’ 40th anniversary. That’s a bold move. It’s also a move that could easily backfire if Nintendo can’t thread the needle between reverence and reinvention.
Why an Ocarina of Time remake is both a slam dunk and a minefield
Let’s start with the obvious: Ocarina of Time is sacred text for a huge chunk of the gaming audience. Originally released on Nintendo 64 in 1998, it didn’t just define 3D Zelda—it helped set the template for 3D action-adventure design for decades. It’s also still treated as a critical benchmark; it’s widely regarded as one of the best games ever made, and it’s long been associated with top-of-the-charts aggregate scores.
That’s exactly why remaking it is so risky.
Nintendo has revisited the game before with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D on Nintendo 3DS in 2011, which modernized visuals and added quality-of-life improvements. That version is often described as sitting somewhere between remaster and remake, because it largely preserved the original structure and feel while sanding down some of the roughest edges—most famously making the Water Temple less of a headache thanks to touchscreen-driven inventory management.
A modern Switch 2 remake, however, invites a different kind of expectation. Today’s mainstream Zelda audience has been trained by Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom to expect wide-open systems, emergent problem-solving, and a very specific kind of “Nintendo open-air” freedom. Drop those players into a more guided, dungeon-forward 1998 design and some will bounce off it hard—no matter how iconic it is.
But swing too far in the other direction—reworking progression, combat flow, or exploration structure—and Nintendo risks angering the fans who consider the original untouchable. That’s the tightrope: make it modern enough to justify its existence, but faithful enough to avoid feeling like a replacement.
Nintendo historically doesn’t chase the kind of aggressive remake philosophy we’ve seen from other publishers. The company often prefers careful updates, rereleases, or visually distinct reinterpretations rather than full-scale “reimaginings.” When Nintendo does go bigger, it tends to be the exception rather than the rule—which is why the idea of a full remake of Ocarina of Time is so tantalizing…and so nerve-wracking.
What the rumor actually says: Switch 2, Holiday 2026, “full remake” talk
Here’s what’s being claimed, and what isn’t.
NateTheHate has said Nintendo is planning an Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2 in the second half of 2026, “approaching the holidays, if not the holidays.” Multiple reports echo that timing, framing it as a potential big-ticket release for the festive season. The leaker has also indicated there won’t be a new 3D Mario in 2026, with the next one instead slated for 2027.
One key point: while some coverage characterizes this as a full remake rather than a simple remaster, the leaker has also acknowledged uncertainty about the project’s scope—raising possibilities ranging from a very faithful, “1:1” style remake to something that takes more liberties with design choices.
That ambiguity matters. A “full remake” can mean anything from a modern engine and new assets with identical gameplay beats, to a deeper rework that changes how the game feels in your hands. Right now, the rumor has a release window and a platform, but not the kind of concrete detail that tells us what kind of remake Nintendo is actually building.
Still, the timing makes strategic sense. 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, and Nintendo loves an anniversary moment—especially when it can anchor a hardware cycle with a prestige release. A Switch 2 remake of a universally recognized classic is the kind of product that sells consoles, moves bundles, and dominates holiday conversation.
It also helps explain the rumored absence of a new 3D Mario this year. If Nintendo really is stacking summer with other releases and aiming a Zelda megaton for holiday, spacing out its biggest brands becomes less about “what’s ready” and more about “what won’t cannibalize what.”
Nintendo’s rumored 2026 nostalgia push: Star Fox in summer, Zelda in winter, Mario later
The Ocarina of Time rumor isn’t floating in isolation. It’s part of a broader set of claims about Nintendo’s Switch 2 plans for 2026—claims that paint a picture of a company leaning hard into legacy franchises and carefully timed reveals.
A “classic-style” Star Fox game, reportedly Summer 2026
NateTheHate has also claimed Nintendo is preparing a new Star Fox game for Switch 2 in summer 2026, describing it as “classic style” with “very good” visuals and online multiplayer. The “classic style” phrasing strongly implies a return to the on-rails shooter roots associated with Star Fox and Star Fox 64, rather than another experimental pivot like Star Fox Zero on Wii U (which was co-developed with PlatinumGames and received mixed reviews).
The timing is especially interesting because it comes right after Nintendo and Illumination revealed that Fox McCloud will appear in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, with Glen Powell voicing Fox. That’s a rare moment of mainstream spotlight for Star Fox, and it’s exactly the kind of cross-media synergy Nintendo has become increasingly comfortable capitalizing on.
As for how Nintendo might reveal it: the rumor suggests it could be announced outside a traditional Direct—more like a “random drop” announcement, similar to how Splatoon Raiders was revealed.
No new 3D Mario until 2027
The other big headline in this rumor cluster is the claim that Nintendo’s next 3D Mario won’t arrive until 2027. If true, that would put the next major 3D Mario platformer a full decade after Super Mario Odyssey (2017). That’s a long gap for Nintendo’s most bankable in-house genre, and it would make the Switch 2’s early years feel notably different from the original Switch era—where Odyssey arrived quickly and helped define the platform’s identity.
Of course, Mario hasn’t been absent. Super Mario Bros. Wonder launched in October 2023 to strong critical acclaim, and Nintendo has kept Mario culturally dominant through other releases and media. But a brand-new 3D Mario is still a different kind of event—one that typically signals a new hardware generation has truly hit its stride.
If Nintendo is indeed holding that card for 2027, it makes the rumored Holiday 2026 Ocarina of Time remake even more important as a tentpole.
A busy summer lineup (also rumored)
The same chatter includes a packed summer for Switch 2, with titles and releases mentioned such as Splatoon Raiders, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, Rhythm Heaven Groove, and a Switch Sports game (with uncertainty over whether it’s a brand-new entry or a Switch 2 Edition-style upgrade). There’s also talk of potential Nintendo Switch 2 Edition releases for Pikmin 4 and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Not all of this is equally substantiated, and Nintendo hasn’t confirmed any of it. But the shape of it is clear: Nintendo may be aiming for a steady cadence through summer, then a massive nostalgia-laden spike for the holidays.
The real challenge: what does a modern Ocarina of Time even look like?
This is where the story gets genuinely fascinating, because Nintendo’s decision tree is brutal.
A faithful remake—think “same game, rebuilt”—would satisfy purists and preserve the original’s pacing, dungeon logic, and tone. But it risks feeling like a museum piece to players raised on modern camera standards, modern combat expectations, and the freeform ethos of recent Zelda.
A more ambitious remake—one that meaningfully rethinks traversal, combat readability, dungeon flow, or even world structure—could make Ocarina of Time feel alive again in 2026. But it also risks breaking the spell. Change the wrong thing and you don’t just disappoint people—you start a civil war in one of gaming’s most passionate fandoms.
Nintendo has one precedent that should be on everyone’s mind: The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on Switch (2019). That remake radically changed the visual presentation into a toy-like diorama style while keeping the underlying game largely intact. It was widely well-received, even if it had technical issues. That’s a blueprint Nintendo could follow: bold presentation, careful design preservation.
But Ocarina of Time isn’t Link’s Awakening. It’s a 3D game with camera, combat targeting, and spatial navigation that were revolutionary in 1998, but can feel stiff today. Updating it “safely” might not be enough. Updating it “boldly” might be too much.
And then there’s the elephant in the room: Nintendo already remade it once on 3DS. That makes this rumored project feel less like “finally, give it the remake it deserves” and more like “Nintendo is choosing to revisit the same monument twice.” That’s unusual territory for a company that often leaves its classics to stand as-is, or reissues them with lighter touch-ups.
If Nintendo is really doing this, it’s because the company believes the moment demands it—whether that’s the 40th anniversary, the needs of the Switch 2 release calendar, or the broader push to keep Zelda top-of-mind ahead of next year’s The Legend of Zelda movie.
Release timing, announcements, and what Nintendo hasn’t said
As of now, Nintendo has made no official announcement of an Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2, and there’s no confirmed trailer, developer credit, price, or exact release date.
There’s also chatter that Nintendo may not host a general Nintendo Direct until June, with earlier announcements potentially handled via social media posts and the company’s Today app. If that’s accurate, it could shape how and when a project like this gets revealed—either as a summer Direct centerpiece or as a standalone announcement designed to dominate a news cycle.
For now, the rumored window is the headline: Holiday 2026, Switch 2.
What Remains Unknown
- Whether the Ocarina of Time project is truly a full remake or something closer to a remaster/upgrade
- The remake’s scope: faithful “1:1” approach vs. more experimental design changes
- Who is developing it (Nintendo has not confirmed any studio involvement)
- Whether it includes content associated with Ocarina of Time 3D (such as Master Quest or other modes/features mentioned in discussion of the 3DS version)
- Exact release date, price, and whether it will be a Switch 2 exclusive
- When (or if) Nintendo will reveal it—April “random drop,” a June Direct, or another format
If Nintendo really is remaking Ocarina of Time for Switch 2, it’s not just revisiting a classic—it’s picking a fight with history. And honestly? That’s exactly why it could be incredible. The safest version of this project is also the least exciting. The best version requires Nintendo to be brave enough to modernize a legend without sanding off the edges that made it legendary in the first place.
