Today is the day! Nintendo promised a new Direct for The Legend of Zelda, and we’ve seen what the 40th anniversary event included. Kicking off with a beautiful rendition of the main theme of The Legend of Zelda, an orchestra played us through many of the series’ biggest moments, including fights against Ganon, Ganondorf, and the Calamity we’ve faced in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
As the music swelled, we saw how Zelda, Ganon, and Link’s shared history has connected with players for 40 years and helped create one of the most beloved franchises.
This led us to Shigeru Miyamoto, who discussed how The Legend of Zelda launched in 1986 on the Famicom and has since evolved with each new system and new technology. Starting this year and continuing into 2027, Nintendo plans to celebrate the anniversary with The Legend of Zelda film, set to arrive on April 30, 2027. It will simply be called The Legend of Zelda, and Miyamoto says it has no subtitle for a reason. “It has become an artistic work worthy of The Legend of Zelda series,” Miyamoto says. 
If you head to the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, a 40th anniversary ticket design will be available, with a history board reflecting past games in the series. On November 5, a new photo op will be available using the Master Sword and more, and in the Fall, a Super Family restaurant will open with Link and Pikmin appearing.
The Nintendo Today app will include new calendar animations celebrating the series, and the app will also have more news on the film. We’ll also see an official Nintendo Museum Book, new amiibo, a playable Ocarina from Hori, Sword and Shield from Huzzle, and new toys from Hasbro and Lego, too.
Nintendo will also host an official The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Concert with “nostalgic tunes and modern melodies.” The concert includes a variety of music to celebrate the series, beginning in Japan before moving worldwide in 2027 beginning in February 2027.
Eiji Aonuma then recaps many features of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time when it launched in 1996. Now, the studio is working on a remake for the Switch 2, which is a “faithful interpretation using modern technology.” This game has a different appeal, Aonuma said.
We then see Link walking around, talking to Saria, Link’s childhood friend. Link can now jump at the press of a button, unlike the Nintendo 64 game, which had Link automatically jump when he got to the edge of a platform.
We also see Link dive into water, as he can swim and dive underwater, too. We then see Link move to a store to buy 5 Deku Nuts before heading into the menu to equip them. Link then moves on through the village before entering a cave that leads to the Great Deku Tree. We see how massive he is compared to the original vision in Ocarina of Time. Link heads into the tree, and we see the familiar first dungeon of the game.
Link meets Navi in the Great Deku Tree before heading into the dungeon. Link encounters a Deku Baba before we see Link target the enemy, and Navi provides hints on how to defeat it. Link draws his sword to defeat it and moves on before throwing a Deku Nut to stun another Deku Baba and defeat it. Aonuma says the game plays much snappier now.
Moving through a door, we see a treasure chest which contains the Fairy Slingshot. We also see a skulltula and confirm that you can use motion controls to aim the Fairy Slingshot.
We then move to Hyrule Field as Aonuma says we’re heading to Kokiri Village. The demo shows loading screens between some areas but not all of them. It was done to preserve the essence of the original game.
Running through Hyrule Field, we see Hyrule Castle in the distance, and then we see Death Mountain, too. If you’re ever lost, you can use the new Threads of Time feature to see what you’ve done and where to go.
You can see the tapestry fill in as you continue your journey across the story campaign. We’re heading to a gate in the distance near the castle. Aonuma says players used to roll to get around faster. Now, by holding A, you can roll and dash to get around faster.
Heading into Hyrule, they end up in Hyrule Castle Town. It looks incredible and immensely detailed, with tons of people enjoying themselves. Link talks to a dancing couple before moving through a back alley, which was a backdrop in the Nintendo 64 version. Shops also have minigames you can play. We also see the sun begin to set, which is new for the entry, as time froze when you entered the town.
We’re back in Hyrule Field at night, and Link pulls out his ocarina to play the Sun Song to make it daytime. Certain events happen only during the day or night, so it’s best to use the song to experience them. Aonuma says you can also hum tunes on the Switch 2 to play the ocarina, and he shows us a demo of Zelda’s Lullaby.
An official ocarina will be available on the Nintendo Store, which you can use in the game to pick up sounds.
The presentation wraps up with Aonuma saying today’s Title Theme will be added to Nintendo Music.
Hidemaro Fujibayashi appears to talk about the game’s features. Zelda Notes will be available when The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches. You can use it to view the map, Gossip Quests, Hall of Fallen Foes, Today’s Record, Play Data, Global Play Data, Photo Studio, Threads of Time, amiibo, Play Ocarina, and even a quiz.
Today’s Records show what you achieved on a given day of play. You can see how many enemies have been defeated, play time, time spent by area, consumable items, and more. Gossip Quests have you searching for locations in-game for points that can be used to unlock ocarina music scores. The Quiz also shows various levels, like Egg and Cucco and can be done once per day. You can transfer rupees via item shops to play the quiz again.
We also see two new amiibos coming in 2027: young Link and young Zelda, with each unlocking in-game masks based on each character’s original face from the Nintendo 64 version.
And officially, we see the Legend of Zelda: 40th Anniversary Edition of the Switch 2. It’s available on October 29, 2026. There’s also a Switch 2 Pro Controller and a Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector available on that date.
There will also be a Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 Pro Controller and Display Stand (available exclusively on the Nintendo Store).
Lastly, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Switch 2) will feature textured foil cover art while supplies last.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches on November 5, 2026, for the Switch 2.
