Nintendo has lined up a dedicated Zelda broadcast. The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct is set for September 8, 2026, and is said to run around 30 minutes.
The bigger detail for fans: it’s reportedly separate from a 45-minute general Nintendo Direct. Two shows, not one segment squeezed into a bigger showcase.
The Legend of Zelda launched in Japan on February 21, 1986, for the Famicom Disk System, then hit the NES in North America in 1987 in that famous gold cartridge. That makes 2026 the franchise’s 40th year.
Nintendo’s anniversary track record is mixed. The 25th brought Skyward Sword, a gold Wii Remote, and the Symphony of the Goddesses concert tour. The 35th was quieter, delivering Skyward Sword HD and a Zelda Game & Watch, while the big anniversary collection fans wanted never showed up.
What fans think is coming
Expectations are running hot, and none of it’s confirmed.
The loudest prediction is more information about an Ocarina of Time remake, with fans hoping for gameplay and clarity on how much of the 1998 N64 original stays intact.
The live-action Zelda movie is the other big guess. That film is real: Nintendo announced it in November 2023 with Wes Ball directing, Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad producing, and Sony Pictures co-financing and distributing. It is set to release in April 2027.
Then there’s the wishlist. The Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD on modern hardware top the requests, followed by classic Zelda drops on Nintendo Switch Online, a special-edition console, anniversary amiibo, LEGO sets, and a Symphony of the Goddesses revival.
