Coliseum

Nintendo aired the first of two back-to-back Nintendo Directs this morning (the other presentation airs tomorrow), focused on The Legend of Zelda’s 40th Anniversary. The presentation heavily focused on the upcoming remake of Ocarina of Time, but it featured plenty of other updates on the live-action Zelda film, a slew of new merchandise, live attractions, and more. Here’s a quick recap of everything that was announced. 

The Legend of Zelda Movie

• Although we still don’t have a proper trailer, the live-action film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda got its official title: The Legend of Zelda. 
• Shigeru Miyamoto says the reason for the film’s lack of a subtitle will be apparent once you see it.
• The film tells an original story based on the many stories from the series. 
• Miyamoto confirms that he and the Zelda development team are involved with the film. 
• Latest info about the film will be shared on the Nintendo Today app first going forward.
• Full article

Nintendo Museum

• Limited-time Zelda 40th Anniversary Tickets for Nintendo Museum in Japan starting September 9.
• A history board chronicling the Zelda series will be displayed. 
• On November 5, a new photo-op themed around the Master Sword will be available.
• The Super Family Restaurant (featuring a Link statue and other Nintendo characters) opens inside the museum this Fall.

 

New Zelda Merchandise

• Nintendo Museum Official Book Vol. 2 will be available November 5
• New The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom construct amiibo
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time playable Ocarina and electric Ocarina. 
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Link & Epona Lego set.
• Hasbro The Legend of Zelda Heroes of Hyrule Figure Collection and Electronic Master Sword. 
• The Legend of Zelda: Masterpiece Color Edition and Gold Edition Huzzle.

The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Concert

• The traveling orchestra begins touring Tokyo next January with dates across Japan.
• A North American tour kicks off in February in Chicago. 
• European and Australian tours planned as well.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 

• The game launches on November 5 for Switch 2. 
• First look at live gameplay played by Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma.
• New actions include free jumping, the ability to roll into a sprint, motion-controlled aiming, full camera control, and improved quick-item selection.
• The gameplay walkthrough shows off Kakariko Village, Hyrule Field, and Hyrule Castle Town.
• Footage shows off characters like Saria and Mido, while revealing that characters (besides Link) are fully voiced in cinematics. 
• Threads of Time is a new feature that displays current objective and story progress/milestones.
• Ocarina can also be played by humming into the Switch 2 mic or even instruments played into it.
• A second, more traditional trailer shows off adult Link, various dungeons like the Water Temple, and additional characters.
• The digital version will cost $59.99. The physical version features a game case with special textured foil cover art. 
• Full article

Zelda Notes

• The mobile companion app to Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom will support the Ocarina of Time remake. 
• The app allows you to view in-game accomplishments and stats from each day and screenshots are captured automatically. 
• New Gossip Quests task you with finding locations indicated in images in the app to earn points spent on new Ocarina music scores. 
• Play Ocarina is a digital Ocarina on your phone, letting you play freely or with a musical guide. You can create QR codes to share custom scores online. 
• Ocarina of Time Quiz lets you answer over 2,000 multiple-choice questions about the game, once a day (though you can spend rupees to play more than once).

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Amiibo

• Young Link/Zelda amiibo that, when scanned into Ocarina of Time, unlock new in-game masks.
• Arrives sometime in 2027. 

The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2

• Launches on October 29.
• Features a Zelda-themed Switch 2 console and dock.
• A Zelda-themed Pro Controller and carrying case will go on sale the same day.
• Full article

Nintendo pulled back the curtain on the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time today in a big way making it the primary pillar of the Zelda 40th anniversary showcase. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma played a lot of the early game and detailed many of its various changes and updates.

First off, we got a good look at young Link with all kinds of additional textures and details on his character model. Following the presentation, an extended trailer for the game also showed adult Link and lots of moments and characters from the game. Some, like myself, might even argue too much. You can check out the trailer above.

Aonuma showed off many areas from the game and highlighted what’s new and what is unchanged. He started in the Kokiri Forest, the opening area, which has a similar layout, but tons more details. Animations, in particular, are really impressive with a good example being the energetic shopkeeper feeling much active and childlike.

Expectedly, you now have full camera control (an update from the original game), and Link can now jump on command. In the original game, Link jumped over gaps automatically. Link can also now swim faster.

Link greeted Saria in the village and she said, “Hi!” but was not voiced. The cutscenes in the game, however, are fully voiced.

Link appears to still have his traditional item-equip screen, but he can also use Breath of the Wild’s item scroll, using the R shoulder button to scroll through items, and the ZR button to use the item. Navi can also react to just about everything in the game offer more details. We saw Link use the slingshot, which can be used with motion controls if you choose.

 

Next Aonuma showed off Hyrule field, which appears to have a similar layout. Instead of having to roll everywhere, Link can now roll once and start sprinting, an action he can do everywhere.

A new Threads of Fate screen will keep track of what you need to do and keep a record of what you have done. Over the course of the game, it will fill in a large tapestry.

Aonuma entered Hyrule Castle Town after showing off Death Mountain the Kakariko Village windmill in the distance. Apparently, there will still be loading screens between areas to maintain the intention of the original game, which is disappointing, but we’ll need to see how it feels in the actual game. Hyrule Castle Town is no longer an area with a fixed camera and you can you explore it with full camera control. Again, the animations have been heavily overhauled filling the characters with far more life. Time flows normally now throughout the game, which is a change. In the original game, time would completely stop when you were in the various towns.

 

The ocarina functions essentially the same as it did in the original game, but Nintendo will be releasing a physical, playable ocarina that you can use to play the real songs, which the Switch 2 mic will pick up and activate. You can also hum the music, too. We watched Aonuma playe Epona’s Song to call Epona.

Breath of the Wild and Tears of Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi also appeared in the stream to detail how the app, Zelda Notes, would connect with the game. In the Nintendo Switch 2 editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda Notes offered added lore bits to the Wild-Era games. In Ocarina of Time, you earn points as you play the game which you can use to unlock songs in the app that you can play in the app, or learn to play on a real ocarina. You can also design your own ocarina songs and share them them via QR codes.

The app will also have a trivia game you can play once daily, or you can use in-game rupees to answer more trivia questions.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake releases November 5, 2026.

The Ocarina of Time remake just got the in-depth reveal we’ve all been waiting for, complete with a new trailer, a gameplay demonstration, and a release date. On top of all of that, however, we also learned that special new amiibo – and an entire new Switch 2 console – will be launching around the game’s release.

The Amiibo are further out – slated for 2027 – and include Young Link and Young Zelda from Ocarina’s early game. Scanning them unlocks “special in-game masks” for Link to wear, though it’s unclear if they affect gameplay at all. See them for yourself below:

 

Coming much sooner, however, is a special edition of the Nintendo Switch 2. Designed for The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary, it comes with a Zelda-themed dock, console, and Joy-Con 2s. Nintendo is also releasing a similarly themed Switch 2 Pro Controller and carrying case. Finally, Nintendo stores in New York and San Francisco will exclusively sell the Switch 2 Pro Controller alongside a special display stand. All of these items are available October 29, one week before Ocarina of Time’s remake drops.

 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a Switch 2 exclusive that launches this November. For more Zelda news, check out the latest details we learned about The Legend of Zelda movie, which premieres next April.

The Nintendo Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time finally has a release date, and it launches on November 5, 2026, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. 

This release date puts the remake launching just two weeks before Grand Theft Auto VI, which is anticipated to be the biggest game launch of the year. Nintendo seems to know the cachet The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has, though, and many gamers will likely pick up this remake in November, whether they’re picking up GTA VI later that month or not. The company revealed this November 5 release date during today’s Legend of Zelda Nintendo Direct, ahead of the more general Nintendo Direct airing tomorrow, September 9. 

As you can see, this remake dramatically changes the visual style of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which originally launched more than two decades ago on Nintendo 64. This new style feels more modern and sits somewhere in the realm of stylized realism, compared with the original game’s more polygonal look, which was shaped by the console’s constraints.

Get a more extensive look at the remake in the trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time below (though heads up: if you haven’t played the game, this trailer shows a lot): 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5. 

What do you think of the new look? Let us know in the comments below!

We’ve been waiting for new details surrounding the upcoming movie based on the Legend of Zelda franchise, and during today’s Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary Nintendo Direct, many were expecting a new trailer. Instead, we learned of the official title and received some first narrative and thematic hints from series creator Shigeru Miyamoto.

The movie is simply called The Legend of Zelda, with no subtitle nor any qualifier that it is a movie, as has been seen in The Super Mario Bros. Movie or The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, the name not containing any subtitle will make sense once you see it. “This is an original film based on the many stories, ideas, and concepts of the series, built up through the games for 40 years,” he said during the Nintendo Direct livestream. “Through the creative power and visual expertise of the talented production team, it’s become an artistic work worthy of the Legend of Zelda series. Both the development team from Nintendo and I are also involved, of course.”

To this point, we only know a few castings, including Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link, Bo Bragason as Zelda, Uli Latufeku as Ganondorf, and Dichen Lachman as Impa, as well as other actors who aren’t officially attached to characters. Outside of that, fans have gleaned small details and potential plot points through leaked set photos that have since been deleted. 

Though he didn’t mention any characters in the movie, Miyamoto hinted that the Triforce will play a role in the film. “When we talk about The Legend of Zelda, there’s the Triforce,” he said. “What role do you think it will play in the film? We’ll share more details at a later time, so please look forward to it!”

Much like the two Mario animated movies from the last few years, we can likely expect a Nintendo Direct dedicated to the film’s first trailer. The Legend of Zelda hits theaters on April 30, 2027.

Exodus is an ambitious sci-fi RPG from Archetype Entertainment that shares some DNA with Mass Effect. It’s evident if you know the studio’s history (many of its higher-ranking developers used to work at BioWare), but you can also tell just by looking; it’s nearly impossible to make a story-driven sci-fi game without those comparisons being made. One of the easiest parallels comes with Exodus’ companions, and when I played the game at Archetype’s Austin offices, the dark-haired companion Suliman left quite an impression.

“Suliman is one of the leaders of the Tenjin Dynasty, which is a very powerful faction on Lidon,” Exodus narrative director Drew Karpyshyn told me. “The thing about the Tenjin Dynasty is they are very closely tied in with the Awakened. Suliman […] has a special relationship with them, and is basically a master assassin and spy who you need to ally with to help you.”

Awakened animals are essentially larger, smarter, longer-living versions of their standard Earth counterparts. Each has a translator chip so humans can understand them. Suliman is the human representative of a Dynasty that is mostly Awakened, and you need his help in an early mission. As such, he’s generally accompanied by ravens, who have a knack for spying and collecting sensitive information.

“Suliman was essentially – we don’t want to spoil too much of his backstory – raised by the ravens, because they saw him as a useful tool,” Karpyshyn said. “[Suliman] became sort of the face of the Dynasty to make it easier to work with humans. Him being smart and intelligent, he has learned to leverage his position to become more than just a figurehead and become an actual important player in the dynasty itself.”

Suliman is confident, with dark hair, a pretty-boy vibe (the developers mention they used some K-Pop celebrities as a reference), and a know-it-all attitude, probably because intel from his raven companions means he does know quite a bit. He speaks to everyone as if he’s the one in charge, unconcerned with the opinions of others and completely self-assured in his position. He’s not quite rude, though, and even though he’s not really my cup of tea, game director Chris King says they adjusted Suliman over time to be a little less abrasive.

“It’s [a] case where, especially with the Dynasty characters, we were experimenting with a little bit of like, you don’t necessarily want to like them right off the bat, and you’re kind of doing this just because of the job at hand,” King said. “At one point, he was kind of like a rich, spoiled kid that you were meant to hate. But we sort of softened that down a little bit, I would say. And still, he’s maybe a little off-putting when you first meet him. But I think as you get to develop that relationship with him further, people start to like him.”

Karpyshyn adds, “Yeah, He’s pretty self-important and arrogant. But then once you see him in a level and you see his abilities, you’re like, ‘Oh, okay, yeah, he walks the walk, doesn’t just talk the talk.'”

I had this exact experience in my demo. Suliman guides Jun, the protagonist, on a mission to Khonsu, a space station that orbits your homeworld, Lidon. It’s a dangerous situation, as the orbital platform is crawling with both enemy troops and Ghosts (essentially ancient security robots), but Suliman makes the whole ordeal much easier. And that’s especially true if you’re trying to move stealthily.

Combat in Exodus has you play as Jun to shoot enemies in third-person, but pressing one of the bumpers allows you to command your companions as well. Suliman’s basic ability, Shadow Step, has him turn invisible and essentially teleport behind an enemy to take them out. It reminds me of the recruits in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Revelations, where you can tap a button and summon an ally from a nearby bush to take out an opponent. Suliman spawns in, deals a bunch of damage, and retreats without being seen. 

Meanwhile, his Ultimate Ability, Vendetta, has him deal damage to three enemies and apply a corrosive effect. You can use that to trigger a synergy, one of the main ways you interact with companions in combat, by throwing a thruster grenade and spreading the corrosion even farther.

“If you’re not into stealth, Suliman still comes in handy though,” King tells me. “All [of Suliman’s moves] are valid in normal, regular, action combat, but I think that’s sort of his area of expertise. […] If you like sneaking around, he can really get you some quick kills off the bat.”

I will likely not romance Suliman (though that is an option), but I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds his way into my regular adventuring party purely due to his cool combat abilities. I also can’t help but sympathize with his empathy for Awakened – it’s hard to side against a guy telling people not to point guns at giant frogs, my favorite faction in the game.

Exodus launches next year on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. For more exclusive interviews, hands-on impressions, and details on other companions (like Salt, the octopus in a mech suit), check out our coverage hub, which we’ll continue to update for the entire month.

It’s been a busy year for games so far. A new Nintendo console just launched. I haven’t yet beaten Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 or Doom: The Dark Ages, despite truly loving what I’ve played, and I’m at least three games behind on the new releases I want to check out. And yet, these past few weeks, whenever I’ve sat down to play a game in my spare time, it’s been 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Now, outside of it being my favorite game of all time, it also recently received a big performance upgrade through the Nintendo Switch 2 version, making for an improved experience in the year 2025. Still, I haven’t been able to shake a persistent feeling of guilt each time I paraglide back into Hyrule.

Whenever I’ve fired up Breath of the Wild, a voice in the back of my head screams, “Shouldn’t you play something else? Something new?!” Part of that is thanks to my job as a member of games media, where I feel professionally obligated to stay abreast of the latest releases in any given year. But as I’ve reflected on my complicated feelings surrounding replaying my favorite games, I’ve realized there’s more to it than just my career.

In the age of social media, we are constantly pushed to experience the latest form of entertainment, whether it’s the current blockbuster film, the newest streaming sensation, or, yes, the most recent hit video game. Aside from people obnoxiously telling you, “Well, you should have stayed off social media if you didn’t want to be spoiled,” participating in the discourse surrounding the latest cultural zeitgeist has become an event unto itself. I didn’t see Sinners until a few weeks after it hit theaters, and as a result, I missed out on the most rewarding conversations taking place across the social platforms, and after I finally caught it, I was kicking myself for not seeing it sooner. The fear of missing out is exacerbated when the conversation dominates the platform that serves as the only way you communicate with your long-distance friends.

But it’s even more than that. Maybe it stems from growing up and constantly being told I should be doing something other than playing video games with my spare time, but that same guilt has transferred to whenever I consume entertainment I have before. A few years ago, I rewatched the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of my favorite entertainment franchises ever. That is an absurd amount of time to devote to something I’ve already seen, but when that guilty feeling popped up, I talked myself down from letting it overtake me and dissuade me from my plan.

How did I pull that off? By reminding myself that time spent doing something you love isn’t time wasted. I think we should all travel to places we’ve never been, try foods we’ve never eaten, attempt a new hobby we’ve never done, and maintain a healthy level of physical activity and outdoor time, but if something brings you joy and it’s not hurting anyone, why deny yourself that pleasure? Yes, there’s abundant value in cooking a new cuisine, but sometimes, that same dish you’ve made over the last 15 years just hits right.

Comfort-food gaming has been a staple of my entire life – I’ve replayed Super Mario World, Final Fantasy X, and Pokémon Blue more times than I can count – and I would argue that with the tumult and uncertainty of the 2025 news cycle, we need it now more than ever. If gaming is your most prominent hobby, as it is mine, don’t deny yourself the joy and escapism that re-embarking on your favorite adventure grants you. So, plan that movie-rewatch marathon, fire up Switch Online’s retro libraries, and do your best to not count how many games you bought in the most recent Steam sale that are still sitting at “0 minutes played.” I’ve been trying to treat my hobby more like a hobby rather than a checklist to complete, and I’m getting more enjoyment out of it as a result.  

This article originally appeared in issue 370 of Game Informer in July 2025.

Welcome to September 2026, which will forever be known as pre-pre-GTA VI month. Alternatively, it might be known as the month when every single video game came out. We’re already feeling the weight of the September gaming waterfall, but the water is invigorating, if a bit intense. We have lots of game recommendations below (and we didn’t even cover everything this week, frankly), but before we get to that, here are some of our biggest stories of the week.

• Everything Announced At The September 2026 PlayStation State Of Play 
• Xbox Announces Monthly Hour Limits To Cloud Gaming Are Coming In November 
• The Blood of Dawnwalker Review – Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds
• Everything Konami Showed At Its 2026 Press Start Showcase 
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review – Excellent Action With Some Aging Elements
• Everything Shown At The September 2026 State Of Play Japan

It’s a packed week of The Game Informer Show. Marcus, Charles, and Eric discuss last week’s Grand Theft Auto VI Extended Look, and talk about where their personal hype levels for GTA VI stand. Then, we break down the double-header Sony State of Play showcase, and talk about our favorite announcements from AAA and smaller studios alike.

After the break, we get into a trio of big game reviews that dropped over the last week: The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Orbitals. The fall season is in full swing, and the crew talks about which of these three games are already standing out. 

The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Friday for chats about video game reviews, news, and exclusive reveals alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry. Support the show by subscribing to our physical video game magazine! Submit a question or topic you’d like to hear us discuss: Podcast@GameInformer.com.

Watch or Listen to the Podcast:

Listen to “Grand Theft Auto VI Extended Look Reactions + 3 Big Game Reviews” on Spreaker.

Follow our hosts online:

• Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7)
• Charles Harte (@ChuckDuck365)
• Eric Van Allen (@Seamoosi)

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction06:08 – Grand Theft Auto VI Extended Look Reactions38:38 – Sony State of Play Highlights01:08:49 – Ad Break01:08:52 – The Blood of Dawnwalker Review01:32:07 – Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review01:50:35 – The Dan Ryckert Tangent01:54:15 – Orbitals Review