Nintendo Direct unveils Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2 in 2026
Ocarina of Time returns only on Switch 2, while Fire Emblem, Switch Sports Resort and Kingdom Hearts DLC keep the original Switch alive.
Nintendo used its June 9 Direct to make the clearest Switch 2 pitch yet: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is coming back in 2026, and Nintendo says it is exclusive to Switch 2. The presentation ran about 50 minutes, then rolled straight into a roughly 95-minute Treehouse: Live segment, and the message was blunt. If you want the biggest legacy franchise move in the show, the new hardware is where it lands.
That exclusivity matters because Nintendo also framed Splatoon Raiders as the first-ever Splatoon spinoff and said it is Switch 2-only. Add the Joy-Con 2 mouse support in compatible games, and the hardware pitch gets more practical than a logo reel. Nintendo is building Switch 2 around new control options and franchise offshoots that will not be on the original Switch, and it is doing it while the system is still fresh after its June 5 U.S. launch at $449.99.
The old system did not get written out. Nintendo’s regional listings put Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave on September 17, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort on October 22, and the U.K. page set KINGDOM HEARTS III + Re Mind for October 8. Nintendo’s store also listed Rhythm Heaven Groove for July 2, keeping one more long-awaited return in the pipeline for players who are not ready to move on.
The rest of the slate leans into a cross-generation strategy rather than a clean handoff. Nintendo highlighted a free update plus paid DLC for Pokémon Pokopia, the next chapter in DELTARUNE, a closed network test for FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods, and a limited-time in-game challenge event that spans Donkey Kong Bananza and classic Donkey Kong titles through Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. The company also kept Fox McCloud in the mix through Star Fox coverage, and its Treehouse plans put Splatoon Raiders, Star Fox, and Rhythm Heaven Groove back on the stage for extended gameplay.
For players deciding whether to stay put or upgrade, that split is the real story. Switch 2 gets the franchise-moving future, led by Ocarina of Time and Splatoon Raiders, while the original Switch still has enough Fire Emblem, Kingdom Hearts, and Rhythm Heaven support to justify hanging on a little longer. Nintendo did not just pack the Direct with announcements, it drew the line between the hardware you own now and the one it wants you on next.
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