Nintendo showed real gameplay from its Ocarina of Time remake for the first time on September 8, 2026, during a special Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct. The remake arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5, 2026. Series producer Eiji Aonuma presented the footage himself, following up on a teaser trailer shown at a June 9 Direct that included no actual gameplay.
That June reveal offered only a cinematic look at the story, told through an image woven into a hanging, along with a first look at Young Link and the new art style. Many people watching had to wait three months to see the game in motion.
First look at gameplay from the #Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 8, 2026
What the Footage Shows
The new footage opens with young Link moving through Kokiri Forest, the place where the game begins. The way Link moves has changed: a new button now lets him spring into the air, taking the place of the springing that once happened on its own without a button press. Link can also swim freely, dash, and switch items quickly, and the remake adds motion controls for aiming.
From the forest, the footage moves into the Great Deku Tree, the game’s first dungeon, showing Link inside its winding interior. The reveal also covered Hyrule Field and Hyrule Castle Town, which no longer uses a fixed camera. Castle Town can now be walked through freely in any direction, and Nintendo confirmed that day can now turn to night there.
One added feature drew particular notice: players can hum songs at their Switch, and if Link has already learned that song in the game, it will play. All cutscenes in the remake are fully voiced, a change from the way the original told its story through written text alone.
Nintendo paired the reveal with a run of extra items tied to the game. A physical Ocarina accessory is planned alongside the game, and Nintendo also said it will put out a Lego set based on the game along with new figures of Link and Zelda.
The Reaction Online
The gameplay reveal has split opinion. Many reacted with enthusiasm, with widespread social media comment suggesting Nintendo had gotten this one right, pointing to the scale of Hyrule and a wide view distance in the Hyrule Field footage that many called striking. The first extended look at the Great Deku Tree drew similar praise.
Others focused their criticism on the art style. The remake trades the flatter, painted look of Breath of the Wild for a design closer to a more real look, following the change already visible in the June teaser. That choice has caused an argument among viewers, with the look of child characters in particular drawing the most close attention.
Aonuma addressed the tone of the remake directly, calling it a “faithful interpretation using modern technologies” with a “different appeal from other [Zelda games] like Breath of the Wild.” His words frame the remake as a deliberate break from the visual approach of Nintendo’s more recent Zelda titles, rather than an extension of it.
An early gameplay video was also posted by DiscussingFilm on X on September 8, 2026, adding to the wave of footage seen after the Direct.
Launch Schedule
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 9, 2026 | Nintendo Direct: teaser trailer shown, no gameplay included |
| September 8, 2026 | Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct: first gameplay footage shown, presented by Eiji Aonuma |
| September 8, 2026 | DiscussingFilm posts early gameplay video on X |
| November 5, 2026 | Ocarina of Time remake launches on Nintendo Switch 2 |
What’s at Stake
The close attention this remake is getting is not surprising given the standing of the original. Ocarina of Time remains the game with the highest score of all time on Metacritic, a score of 99. Any remake of a game holding that record carries large expectations, and Nintendo’s move away from a Breath of the Wild-style look appears to be the central point of the argument so far.
With gameplay now shown across Kokiri Forest, the Great Deku Tree, Hyrule Field, and Hyrule Castle Town, players have far more to judge than the June teaser allowed. Whether the new art style settles the argument or grows louder will likely become clearer as more footage comes out before the November 5 launch.