Reviews for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake could begin appearing on November 4, 2026, just one day before Nintendo’s highly anticipated remake launches on Switch 2.
The date has not been formally announced by Nintendo. Instead, the current expectation comes from Metacritic telling fans to watch for review activity around the middle of the week. This points toward Wednesday, November 4, particularly given Nintendo’s recent habit of allowing reviews for major Zelda releases to appear the day before launch.
Expect reviews very close to launch
If November 4 proves accurate, players will have roughly a day to digest the first full verdicts before Ocarina of Time launches on November 5 exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. It is worth treating November 4 as a reported date rather than a confirmed embargo time for now, as neither Nintendo nor Metacritic has publicly provided an exact hour.
The bar is unusually high. The original Ocarina of Time remains one of the most acclaimed games ever released, while Nintendo’s new version is a substantial remake rather than a simple resolution upgrade.
What is the Ocarina of Time remake?
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time originally arrived on Nintendo 64 in 1998 and follows Link’s journey across Hyrule as he becomes the Hero of Time and confronts Ganondorf. The adventure became one of the defining early 3D action-adventure games and later received an enhanced Nintendo 3DS version in 2011.
For the new Nintendo Switch 2 edition, Nintendo has rebuilt the game with completely overhauled visuals, fully voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, a symphonic orchestral soundtrack, and reworked camera and movement controls. The remake launches on November 5, 2026, exclusively for Switch 2.
For a closer look at everything Nintendo has changed, see our Ocarina of Time remake release-date and gameplay breakdown.