My (Late) Predictions for the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct

The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct takes place tomorrow at 3pm UK time, and my excitement is through the roof and into the sky, like Tears of the Kingdom! What a premise for a Direct this could be. There is so much potential here. Not just in terms of the games and projects we already know are coming, but the surprises, the anniversary celebrations and those classic Nintendo announcements that absolutely nobody sees coming. This could be a total blowout celebration of Zelda's 40th anniversary, and I am all here for it.

I've already gone through 24 different predictions in my video and ranked them based on how likely I think they are to happen, so I'm doing the same here.

Some are basically guaranteed; some I'm 50/50 on and others are complete hopium copium. It is only a 30-minute presentation, so obviously Nintendo isn't going to announce everything we want (when do they ever), but 30 minutes is still a lot of time in Nintendo Direct terms, so starting from the beginning, what do I think we're actually going to see?

Eiji Aonuma Opens the Direct — 100%

Come on, we all know how this thing is starting. Eiji Aonuma is going to appear on screen, looking as spiff as per usual, and thank everyone for their continued support of this legendary series over the last 40 years. We'll get a special montage of all the games (especially the ones you can play on your Switch 2), the 40th anniversary logo and probably some lovely soppy message about how Zelda has evolved over the decades. I'd also expect Nintendo to confirm that the anniversary celebrations aren't just confined to this Direct.

Similar to what we've seen with Mario, I could see this running all the way through until the Zelda movie releases in April 2027. It just makes too much sense. Mario’s had his turn now (whether you liked it or not), it’s Link’s time to shine now.

Aonuma Has a Brand-New Zelda T-Shirt — 100%

This is arguably my safest prediction of the entire Direct: a brand-new T-shirt. Lock it in. This will probably mark the beginning of the wallet drainage that causes me to reconsider every financial decision I’ve made up to this point. Miyamoto had his special shirt for Mario, and there is absolutely no chance Nintendo celebrates 40 years of Zelda without putting Aonuma in some lovely commemorative shirt that I'll inevitably want to buy five minutes later, which brings me nicely onto...

New Zelda Merchandise — 100%

There will be merch. Loads of it. We already know about some Zelda products coming, but I'm expecting Nintendo to properly lean into the anniversary with plushies, models, statues, figures and basically anything else they can slap a Triforce onto. I wouldn't even be surprised to see some First 4 Figures stuff or other more expensive collectibles. It's Zelda's 40th anniversary. Nintendo isn't going to turn down the opportunity to empty our wallets, mine especially.

Zelda 40th Anniversary Icons and Rewards — 90%

This feels like one of those tiny announcements Nintendo will spend about 15 seconds on before immediately moving onto something considerably more exciting. Give us a load of Zelda profile icons.

Link from every era. Different versions of Zelda. Ganondorf. Midna. Tingle. Groose. They could rotate them throughout the anniversary celebrations and include backgrounds, borders and other rewards based on different games in the series. It's not exactly going to bring the house down, but it feels incredibly easy for Nintendo to do.

They did the same thing for Mario and have recently been doing the same for Fire Emblem games in the lead up to Fortune’s Weave’s release next week, so this seems an easy win especially if they do this in the build up to Ocarina of Time. What will for sure happen will be OOT-themed icons when that comes out.

A New Zelda LEGO Set — 75%

This is one I'm quite confident about because there is so much potential for Zelda LEGO, particularly with Ocarina of Time.

Kokiri Forest with Link's house would be amazing. Lon Lon Ranch. Kakariko Village. Hyrule Field. Death Mountain. Goron City. Gerudo Desert. The Chamber of Sages. A massive Triforce display. The Temple of Time with a Sheik minifigure and the Master Sword. I’m drooling just thinking about this.

The big one everyone wants would be Hyrule Castle, and Ocarina of Time’s version is a prominent one that could easily be featured, especially with the courtyard. We've already had Zelda LEGO sets, so even if Nintendo doesn't show us another complete set tomorrow, I think there is a strong chance we at least hear that more are coming over the next few years.

Zelda 40th Anniversary Book or Retrospective — 40%

I'd actually really like Nintendo to do something that celebrates the history of Zelda rather than everything being about what's coming next. Give us some enormous 40th anniversary book filled to the brim with concept art, developer interviews, the evolution of Link and Zelda, early designs for Hyrule and behind-the-scenes material from games going all the way back to the NES. Basically give me a massive Zelda bible that weighs about four kilograms and costs considerably more than any book reasonably should.

Or even better: A Hyrule Cookbook!!! Now we’re talking. I’ll take 10 of each.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment DLC — 50%

I'm exactly 50/50 on this. Age of Calamity got two waves of paid DLC with extra characters, skins, challenges and unlockables, so why couldn't Age of Imprisonment get the same treatment?

I've not actually played Age of Imprisonment yet, but the timing makes sense. You could have one DLC wave relatively soon and another later this year or around February or March, towards the end of the fiscal year. It would also feel like a fitting way to finally close the book on this entire Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom era of Zelda.

Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD — 10%

I'm sorry, but it's not happening. If Nintendo announces these tomorrow, I'll be delighted and praising Lord Hylia for blessing us for our persistence and patience in never letting this go.

But how many times are we going to beat this dead horse? We've spent sooooo many years predicting Twilight Princess HD and Wind Waker HD for Switch dating all the way back to COVID years. We're in Switch 2 territory now. At some point, I've got to accept that it's just not happening. The only thing stopping me putting this at 0% is that Nintendo could still want something cross-platform between Switch and Switch 2, similar to what it has done with Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 last year to commemorate Mario’s 40^th and the upcoming Galaxy Movie. But unless the movie takes massive inspiration from these two games, which I don’t think it will, we might have to let this ship sail (literally).

The King of Red Lions has gone off somewhere better.

A Zelda Game Crossover — 25%

There's definitely potential for Zelda to invade another Nintendo game for the anniversary. Splatoon previously had the Power, Wisdom and Courage Splatfest around Tears of the Kingdom, so why not do something similar again? You could have Kokiri vs Goron vs Zora for Ocarina of Time. You could do something with Tetris 99. You could even have some bizarre Zelda crossover in Donkey Kong Bananza. I don't particularly expect it, but it's an easy way for Nintendo to spread the anniversary celebrations across its other games.

Zelda Nintendo Switch Online Challenges — 25%

I'm separating this from a general crossover because I actually think Nintendo has a really cool opportunity here. We've had the Donkey Kong challenges, so imagine a Zelda version. You could have challenges in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom alongside the older games available through Nintendo Switch Online. Complete a particular dungeon, beat a certain boss, find something within a time limit or complete a specific section of Zelda II or A Link to the Past.

I played some of the DK challenges and, while quite a few were fairly easy, some were surprisingly intense. It's not exactly a new game. It's basically more games inside the games we've already got, which sounds incredibly confusing when I actually write it down, but you know what I mean.

A Zelda Expansion at Super Nintendo World — 25%

I would love this, and more importantly, I genuinely think it's coming eventually. Does that mean it's being announced tomorrow? I'm not sure.

Nintendo wouldn't even need to be anywhere near actually building the thing yet. Just show us some concept art, tell us Zelda is coming to Super Nintendo World in three or four years and leave it there. There has been plenty of speculation about Zelda eventually joining Nintendo's theme parks, and the 40th anniversary Direct would be a pretty fitting place to make it official.

Speaking for me personally, this would also finally make me start saving properly to go to Japan or America. As much as I love Mario, Zelda means so much more to me personally. If I'm spending that amount of money to experience Super Nintendo World, I'd rather wait and get that magic twice over with Mario and Zelda. Also if this trip is going to make me broke, at least let me take some cool Zelda merch home with me.

A Brand-New Zelda Spin-Off — 25%

This is basically my "Nintendo does something weird" prediction. A new Four Swords? Some sort of multiplayer Zelda? Another crossover like Cadence of Hyrule? Zelda Battle Royale?

Zelda 99?

Imagine the OG Zelda 1 map, and everyone is running around collecting items and attacking each other. I've got absolutely no idea how that would work, but Nintendo has done stranger things. There are already so many games I expect Nintendo to talk about that I'm not convinced it needs another one, but you never know.

Zelda Movie Appearance — 100%

Lock this bad boy in. We are getting something from the Zelda movie tomorrow because it just makes way too much sense. The film is less than nine months away. Someone could get pregnant today and have their child around the time the Zelda movie comes out. That's how close we are.

I'd expect Miyamoto to appear here and talk a little bit about the movie, probably thank everyone for supporting Nintendo's other film projects and then move onto how they're bringing Zelda to the big screen. And he'll probably mention Pikmin somehow. He always finds a way.

More Zelda Movie Cast Announcements — 90%

I don't think Nintendo is going to stop with the Link and Zelda casting because there are so many characters we still need to know about. There have already been reports surrounding other members of the cast, so this would be the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to start making more of those names official.

Ganondorf and Impa are the obvious ones, but what about the King of Hyrule? A Goron? A Sage? Rauru? Tingle?

Come on Nintendo. Cast Tingle. Chris Pratt is already on your radar right? I think that could work.

Zelda Movie Teaser — 90%

I also think we're seeing the movie. Not much of it, but we're seeing it. Give me 30 seconds of Link riding Epona across Hyrule Field. A shot of Hyrule Castle. Death Mountain erupting in the distance. Link firing an arrow at something, maybe him solving a little puzzle and opening a gate.

Then give us one ominous shot involving Ganondorf and cut to the logo. That's all I need. It will feed and fuel the theorists for a long time trust me.

Oh, and if Link talks, I’ll be surprised. He will in the eventual thing, but I fear for Nintendo if they announce that ground-breaking revelation alongside everything else.

Full Zelda Movie Trailer — 25%

This is where I draw the line. I don't think Nintendo is dropping a full three-minute trailer tomorrow because why would you? Give the movie its own Direct around October or November and let it completely dominate the day rather than having the first proper trailer overshadowed by everything else happening in this presentation.

Twilight Princess on GameCube Nintendo Switch Online — 75%

Now this is how I think Twilight Princess comes back. I think there's a strong likelihood it joins the GameCube Nintendo Switch Online library, potentially even as a shadow drop. Mario Sunshine has been there for a while now, and from the initial list of GameCube games Nintendo announced, there aren't many of the big hitters left to come.

It also makes sense to get Twilight Princess out before Ocarina of Time. Nintendo isn't directly selling Twilight Princess if it's an NSO release, whereas Ocarina is potentially going to be a massive £70 release. You don't want the two competing for attention. So give us Twilight Princess now Nintendo, please?

Four Swords Adventures on GameCube NSO — 50%

I'm knocking this down slightly compared to Twilight Princess purely because Twilight Princess is the much bigger and more obvious addition. But Four Swords Adventures would make so much sense for an anniversary celebration. And PLEASE make it playable online.

Four-player online Four Swords Adventures could be absolutely brilliant and would make the game considerably easier to experience than it was originally. It would also fit Zelda's history of using Four Swords releases as part of previous anniversary celebrations. The only problem is I’ll need to find friends to play it with, so if they give a release date for a few months that will give me enough time to prepare, hopefully.

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons Remakes — 10%

I'm sorry again. I'd love this, but no. Echoes of Wisdom isn't even two years old, and unless Grezzo has secretly been working on these for quite some time, I don't see Nintendo having another huge 2D Zelda remake ready. Especially when we're already expecting a remake of a much bigger Zelda game later this year. One day, hopefully, but not tomorrow.

A Link Between Worlds HD — 40%

Now this one I can see slightly more. A Link Between Worlds wouldn't require the same amount of work as completely remaking the Oracle games. Nintendo could essentially give it the treatment we've seen with some other 3DS-era games like Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD: upscale it, improve the visuals, make the necessary adjustments for a single screen and get it onto modern hardware. And I'd absolutely take that. A Link Between Worlds is probably my favourite 2D Zelda. I genuinely think it's better than A Link to the Past, and I'd love another excuse to play it.

Tingle Appears Somewhere — 50%

Yes, this is a category. Tingle.

I'm not even predicting how he appears. I'm just saying there is a 50% chance this strange green bastard appears at some point during these 30 minutes. Maybe he's in the movie. Maybe we get Tingle merchandise. Maybe he's randomly in the anniversary montage. I've even thought about whether Nintendo could add him to Ocarina of Time. If the remake has more quality-of-life features aimed at making the game accessible to younger players, maybe Tingle could function as some sort of hint character. Something similar to the hint systems Nintendo has added to other remakes. He tells you where to go, offers you items or gives you challenges. I don't know. Just give me Tingle.

Something New From Grezzo — 10%

I don't see it. Echoes of Wisdom only came out relatively recently, and I don't think we're getting Switch 2 Editions of either that or Link's Awakening. Those games feel pretty much done. No DLC, no major updates, one and done. Give them another few years and let them make the next 2D Zelda game because, based on what they've done so far, I'm very excited to see what comes next. Let them cook.

Some Completely Ridiculous Zelda Announcements Nobody Predicted — 10%

And then there's the Nintendo factor. Every now and then, Nintendo announces something so completely out of left field that absolutely nobody had it on their prediction list. What would the Zelda equivalent be?

Zelda Maker?

Ever since the initial release of Super Mario Maker over 10 years ago, people have been speculating and imagining what a Zelda Maker could even look like. We got a short experiment in the Link’s Awakening remake with the Dungeon Editor, but how cool would it be to have a full game where you could create your own dungeons and share them online? Place your own enemies, create puzzles, hide keys, choose your dungeon theme and put a treasure chest behind the most unnecessarily complicated puzzle imaginable containing five rupees just to annoy whoever is playing it.

You could have NES Zelda, A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening and maybe even a modern 3D-ish style as different themes. People would create absolute monstrosities within about six hours. Or maybe this project is something completely different. A Tingle game. Zelda Picross. Beedle's Business Empire.

But I am leaving 10% on the table for Nintendo to announce something that makes the entire internet collectively say: "What the f***.”

Ocarina of Time Remake Blowout — 100%

And now we get to the meat of this Direct: the final ten minutes and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This is going to be massive. Nintendo knows the importance of this game. We're not just talking about another video game release here. We're talking about one of, if not the, most iconic video games ever made being rebuilt from the ground up for Nintendo Switch 2.

This is a system seller.

I genuinely think Nintendo will market the absolute life out of this thing over the holidays. Ocarina of Time is a game that appeals to people who have been playing Zelda for decades and people who have never touched the original. I'm expecting a massive trailer followed by a proper demonstration. Give Aonuma the controller and let him show us what's changed.

Major Ocarina of Time Quality-of-Life Changes — 90%

I don't think Nintendo will remake Ocarina one-to-one, but I also don't think it's going to completely reinvent it. I'm thinking about 1.5-to-one. Keep the story, keep the dungeons and keep the fundamental structure of Ocarina of Time. Just add more. Hyrule Field is the obvious place to start. It's massive but fairly barren by modern standards, so give us more NPCs, little challenges, things to discover and reasons to actually explore it. Maybe add some smaller shrine-like challenges around the world. Not literally Breath of the Wild shrines, but little puzzles and combat encounters that make Hyrule feel more alive.

That's the sort of thing I want. Oh and make the voice acting be good please. You can bring Matt Mercer back as Ganondorf if you fancy it too.

More Freedom in Ocarina of Time's Dungeon Order — 50%

This is one of my more specific predictions. Nintendo has become much more comfortable with letting players tackle Zelda in their own way, so could some of that philosophy find its way into Ocarina? After meeting Zelda and getting Zelda's Lullaby, perhaps the game loosens up slightly and allows you more freedom over where you go next. Then, once you're Adult Link, maybe the five temples become less rigid in their order.

I'm not saying turn Ocarina of Time into Breath of the Wild. Please don't. But giving the player slightly more freedom while keeping the overall structure intact could work really well.

Major New Ocarina of Time Story Content — 10%

This is where I don't think Nintendo will mess around. Don't substantially change the story. Don't suddenly give us three new Sages and reveal Ganondorf was actually being controlled by Demise's second cousin. Leave it alone. Expand the world around Ocarina of Time rather than rewriting Ocarina of Time itself. That's what I want from this remake.

Ocarina of Time Amiibo — 95%

Come on. It's Zelda, it's Ocarina of Time, it's the 40th anniversary and Nintendo likes money, so this is practically guaranteed. Echoes of Wisdom somehow didn't get one, which still feels like such a missed opportunity, but there is absolutely no way Nintendo looks at a massive Ocarina remake and doesn't see the potential.

We already have a few OOT-themed Amiibo already with the specific Link one, and technically Young Link and Sheik from Smash Bros, but there is a chance for so much more. The Sages are highly likely, especially if they are given a bigger role in the story, or even just become more fleshed out characters. I fear for how my wallet will be looking at me if these figures do get announced.

Ocarina of Time Special Collector’s Edition — 80%

Same again. This is too big a release not to get some sort of collector's edition. Steel book, art book, little collectible, whatever Nintendo wants to throw in there. But there is one thing I particularly want inside of it.

Ocarina of Time Physical Soundtrack — 75%

Give me the soundtrack. If this game is receiving a fully orchestrated soundtrack based on Koji Kondo's original work, then treat that music with the respect it deserves. Ocarina of Time has one of the most famous soundtracks in gaming history. Give us a CD, put it in the special edition or sell it separately. I don't care. Gimme.

Ocarina of Time Release Date — 100%

This is actually so obvious that I somehow forgot to predict it originally. We're getting the release date. With the game expected this year, this surely has to be the moment Nintendo finally tells us exactly when we're going back to Hyrule. Considering everything else I'm predicting — the console, Amiibo, special edition and massive marketing campaign — I'd expect Nintendo to have a very clear launch plan ready to go.

I'd be amazed and probably raging, if we leave this Direct still being told simply "2026".

Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Music Celebration — 75%

While we're talking music, this feels like another easy win. Nintendo could use the anniversary to go much bigger with Zelda on Nintendo Music. Add more soundtracks from across the series throughout the anniversary. Give us special playlists. Put together a 40th anniversary collection. And when the Ocarina remake releases, get those new arrangements on there too. Zelda's music is such an enormous part of the franchise's identity that I'd actually be quite disappointed if Nintendo doesn't do something with it over the next year.

Zelda Switch 2-Themed Console and Controllers — 100%

This one has unfortunately been spoiled somewhat already, but it is what it is. I fully expect Nintendo to officially reveal the Zelda-themed Switch 2  console alongside Ocarina of Time. The artwork for the direct matches the theme of the leak which makes it a certain bet, and that’s a good thing, I really like the look of it. What I really want is for Nintendo to sell the joy-cons separately. Please don't make me buy another entire Switch 2 just because you've drawn some Triforce on the controllers.

If not, the Pro Controller that was leaked alongside will have to do…sigh. Such a shame I can only spend £100 instead of double that.

The Next 3D Zelda Is Mentioned — 90%

There is an important distinction here because I absolutely think Aonuma will mention the next Zelda. Something along the lines of:

"I, Fujibayashi and the Zelda team are currently hard at work on the next adventure in The Legend of Zelda series. We hope you will be patient for a little longer."

That's it, and that's enough. We all know it's being made. Just acknowledging it during the 40th anniversary celebration would be nice. We’re not seeing it though. I’ll eat my shoe if that happens.

Zelda Symphony World Tour — 50%

And finally we reach my hopium. Please, PLEASE, bring back The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. I'm a relatively new Zelda fan. Well, new-ish. I was obviously alive when the previous concerts happened, but I wasn't a Zelda fan then, so I completely missed them. And now I'm desperate for another one.

There is so much music Nintendo could use that wasn't even around during the previous tours. Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Echoes of Wisdom, Link's Awakening on Switch and the new Ocarina of Time soundtrack could all be involved. Combine all of that with 40 years of Zelda music and take it around the world. Zelda has arguably the greatest soundtrack collection in video game history, and it deserves to be celebrated properly.

I'm giving this 50%. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but if this gets announced tomorrow, I will pop off harder than almost anything else in this Direct. Sorry neighbours in advance.

So, How Much of This Will Actually Happen?

Probably nowhere near all of it, but that's the fun. Thirty minutes is actually quite a long time for a Nintendo Direct, and we could easily get ten completely different announcements in that time. Aonuma, merchandise, LEGO, Age of Imprisonment DLC, Twilight Princess on NSO, movie casting, a movie teaser, Ocarina of Time, Amiibo, special-edition hardware, Nintendo Music and a Zelda Symphony could all realistically fit. Maybe even Zelda Maker.

There is so much potential here, and obviously 30 minutes will still fly by. We'll sit down, Aonuma will appear on screen and somehow it'll be over five minutes later. After 40 years of The Legend of Zelda, we're about to find out what Nintendo has in store for the next 12 months of one of the greatest franchises in gaming history, and I am like a kid on Christmas Eve here waiting.