The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is reportedly getting a next-gen remake for the Switch 2, but nothing has been directly announced by Nintendo just yet. However, fans have already gotten the next-best thing to an official announcement by way of a wink from Zelda‘s producer.
Up until now, most of the information surrounding the OOT remake has come from leakers and “insiders.” But there’s no better person to take at their word that a Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is definitely coming than the man who directed the original N64 OOT himself: Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma. Thanks to a now resurfaced interview, it’s clear that Aonuma has been subtly hinting at the Ocarina of Time remake for nearly 3 years.
Zelda Ocarina of Time’s Switch 2 Remake Sounds Much Bigger Than Any Prior Nintendo Remake
Rumors of a Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake have been circulating online for the better part of the year, but it remained largely speculation until recently. The speculation changed to near-certainty in late March when prominent leaker Nate the Hate confirmed he had heard that the Ocarina of Time remake is definitely happening.
This was a big revelation because Nate tends to avoid sharing information unless he’s quite sure it’s true, and he was actually pushing back against the OOT remake rumors when they initially began circulating because he hadn’t heard anything himself. Nate the Hate’s decision to change his stance on the matter was a big deal for Nintendo fans, and it has the Zelda community taking past “leaks” surrounding the topic with much greater interest.
For example, while Nate the Hate said he hasn’t heard too much about what this remake entails, other leakers have been claiming the OOT remake has quite a large budget. While that may seem like a given for a game as big as OOT, what it really means is that this remake likely isn’t just a straightforward graphical overhaul like Link’s Awakening, for example.
OOT’s remake could very well be a fundamentally different game, with a much larger world, unique gameplay mechanics and potentially even new story elements. In fact, in a recent interview with 4Gamer discussing Age of Imprisonment, Aonuma revealed that the Zelda Team was taking notes from Koei Tecmo in applying some ideas from Hyrule Warriors into the next Zelda game. Now that fans know the Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake is that “next Zelda game,” it’s clear this game could have completely different gameplay from the N64 original.
Unlike the 3DS Ocarina of Time remake, which largely kept the foundation of OOT intact while updating its controls and graphics, the Switch 2 remake seems to be a completely new experience more along the lines of Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
Eiji Aonuma Directly Addresses Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s Switch 2 Remake During an Interview
With the Ocarina of Time remake leaks looking more credible than ever, Zelda fans have now been revisiting recent interviews from the Zelda Team in hopes of uncovering something new. One of the first people to recognize an interesting pattern was Nintendo content creator and analyst Andres Restart, who was also one of the earliest people to begin speculating that an OOT remake could be coming based largely on Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma’s interviews from the past couple years.
In a recent YouTube video, Andres referred back to an interview Aonuma had with Game Informer back in 2023, in which Aonuma was asked about Ocarina of Time directly. At the end of the interview, interviewer Brian Shea asked Aonuma: “I’ve heard about how sometimes questions about games can inspire them to be made, so I selfishly want to ask you about a modern Ocarina of Time remake, but I have a feeling I know the answer I’ll get.” This question caused Aonuma to laugh, after which he stated “No comment!”
In many cases, simply saying “no comment” would mean just that. It’d be fair to interpret Aonuma’s statement at face value and just assume that he really just has no comment on the matter at all because he doesn’t care. On the other hand, in a situation like this, “no comment” actually says a thousand words.
There was absolutely nothing preventing Aonuma from shutting down the interviewer’s inquiry or saying “there’s no plan for an OOT remake at this time.” In fact, not only did Aonuma not deny that an OOT remake could be in the works, but the interviewer later confirmed that, when he said the words “no comment,” Aonuma actually switched languages from his native Japanese to literally say the words “no comment” in English.
In hindsight, Aonuma’s “no comment” was actually a very straightforward comment on what the Zelda Team had planned. While he would’ve been unable to confirm anything at that time (after all, Nintendo still has not announced the game despite leaks suggesting it could be coming out in time for the holiday season), Aonuma was at least able to provide fans with something of a playful wink at what Nintendo was cooking behind the scenes.
Aonuma May Actually Have Been Hinting At the Ocarina of Time Remake For Years
Interestingly, the 2023 Game Informer interview was far from the only time Aonuma has talked about OOT in recent years. In another 2023 interview, this time with Japanese publication Nintendo Dream, Aonuma also alluded to Ocarina of Time more indirectly. During the interview, Aonuma and TOTK Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi spoke about Tears of the Kingdom’s Rauru, and what inspired his character. Fujibayashi explained that he was named Rauru to signify his role as a “guide” for Link, much like Rauru guided Link as Kaepora Gaebora in Ocarina of Time.
Aonuma then mused that, while he liked the idea of naming the character Rauru, he wasn’t sure that most modern player would recognize Rauru’s original inspiration because it has been so many years since Ocarina of Time came out. As Aonuma put it, “I wonder how many people who are playing Tears right now actually know the character of Raul…” If Ocarina or Time’s Switch 2 remake does come out later this year as leakers have predicted, modern gamers will certainly become more than familiar with Rauru soon enough.
Even without an official announcement, Aonuma’s comments throughout the years strongly imply that there’s some real weight behind the OOT remake leaks and insider information that have been coming out. And if what he’s saying is true, this remake could easily be Nintendo’s biggest game remake ever, and potentially the Switch 2’s biggest game yet.