This year marks the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, and it’s finally time to get the party started. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, Nintendo will host The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct. The 30-minute stream promises to “deliver a variety of The Legend of Zelda related information.” That’s a bit of a clinical description, but the vague wording makes sense when you consider what Nintendo could reveal during the stream.
If you want proof of how seriously Nintendo can take these streams, Rewatch 2020’s loaded Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct, which revealed Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, and more. The Zelda stream is a little easier to predict by comparison, but it should still have a few surprises in store. Here’s what to expect from the showcase.
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Ocarina of Time gameplay and release date
The main event of this showcase is undoubtedly The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Nintendo has said next to nothing about its Switch 2 remake since it was first teased, even though it’s supposed to launch sometime in the next few months. Expect a blowout here that gives us a real look at the visuals, a deep dive into gameplay, and a release date. Nintendo might save a few of the finer details for its Treehouse stream the next day, but all the major bullet points should be here.
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Our first look at the Zelda movie
Stills from the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie featuring Link and Zelda in Hyrule (aka New Zealand)Image: Nintendo, Sony Pictures
The other major tentpole of this stream is likely to be the Zelda movie, which is slated to drop on April 30, 2027. We’ve hardly seen much of the project yet outside some official images, but that will no doubt change come Tuesday. I’d put money on the Direct opening with Shigeru Miyamoto presenting the first trailer for the movie, alongside an official cast reveal. That playbook worked for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, so it’s bound to be repeated here.
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The Zelda-themed Switch 2 will be made official
Image: Dbrand
We may have gotten a sneak preview of this stream last month, due to a leak that now seems very plausible. Convincing images of a Zelda-themed Switch 2 and Pro Controller surfaced online in August. The console features a dock with custom Joy-cons and a big triforce splashed across it, while the Pro Controller is decked out in gold and green. While those could always be fake, both seem fairly realistic given Nintendo’s history of special edition hardware. It would also entice some new adopters to spend money on a fancy Switch 2 right after the new console’s price increase went into effect. Sneaky!
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It’s Twilight Princess time
Nintendo
Outside of those three locks, the contents of the Zelda theme are a mystery. There are some safe guesses you can make, though. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is bound to get some love during the stream, considering that it’s the only mainline console Zelda game that’s not currently available on Switch. Maybe it’ll get added to Switch Online’s GameCube Classics catalog, or maybe we’ll get a Super Mario 3D All-Stars two-pack, featuring the HD versions of both Twilight Princess and Wind Waker. Either way, I’d be shocked if we didn’t see it come to Switch in some form to complete the collection.
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A surprise Zelda game for 2027
Image: Grezzo/Nintendo
The idea of Nintendo announcing a surprise Zelda game may sound farfetched given that Ocarina of Time is about to drop, but there’s actually good reason to think it could happen. Back in May, leaker Nash Weedle claimed that Nintendo is working on a new Zelda game with Grezzo, the developer behind The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Codenamed Project Bernard (a name that is consistent with previous Grezzo codenames like Project Edward), the project is rumored to star Ganondorf. Given that the Zelda movie is set to release in April and Nintendo likes to release games alongside its movies, there’s some real weight behind this rumor. The only skepticism I have is that Echoes of Wisdom just launched in 2024. The idea of Grezzo turning around another full game just three years later feels ambitious given that there were five years between its Link’s Awakening remake and Echoes of Wisdom. Still, never say never!
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