Zelda’s 40th Anniversary Could Bring a Long-Awaited Switch 2 Zelda Remake

The Legend of Zelda will turn 40 in February 2026. This is a big event for one of Nintendo's most well-known games. Because the anniversary is this month, everyone wants to know what Nintendo could do to mark the event. When Mario or Zelda turns a big birthday, the company usually does something to celebrate, like rereleasing the game or making it available for a short time. 

This subject is more interesting now that we know more about Nintendo's next hardware cycle and a well-known Switch 2 game leak. There are more and more signs that Nintendo is working on a remake or remaster of Zelda to mark the series' 40th anniversary. The signs are small, but when you look at them all together, it's clear that something bad could happen soon.

Everyone is now looking at Zelda since Mario's 40th birthday party is over.

One of the most important stories lately was Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Fans noticed that a voice actor had updated their professional page, stating they would be working on a Xenoblade Chronicles project in 2026. This caused news stories. Characters from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, which came out in 2017, were talked about.

A new Monolith Soft game was said to be coming soon, but this quickly changed to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Definitive Edition for Switch 2. To back up this idea, fans saw new lighting assets from the game on Monolith Soft's website as early as August 2025. This suggests that graphics were being worked on behind the scenes.

Nate the Hate has been in the game for a long time and has always been right about Nintendo Direct times and projects that haven't been announced yet. This makes him more trustworthy. He talked about the idea of a Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Definitive Edition with better graphics, faster frame rates, DLC like Torna, and maybe even more material.

However, he was only giving guesses and not real information. One interesting thing about his recent statements is that they have often been very close to things that actually happened, even when they were clearly just guesses. The quiet makes the tease stand out even more.

In the early stages of the Switch 2's lifecycle, Nintendo's top leaders have already talked about why better versions of current Switch games make sense. People who already have a Switch can buy a new one to play updated versions of old games that have been made better in real ways. That plan works really well with Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and if it does come out, it shows a bigger picture of what Nintendo has planned for 2026.

That trend is more interesting when we look past Xenoblade and toward Zelda. 

A source called Nintend has proven that they can be trusted by giving away hints about big Nintendo news before it was officially announced. Like, they knew exactly when the public would see the Switch 2 hardware for the first time. A lot of the time, they just make short, vague social media posts that turn out to be about real projects.

This year, a simple post referenced Xenoblade, and there is now more and more evidence to back up that hint. But a little more than a month before that Xenoblade post, there was another hazy hint. This time, it was about a Switch version. There has been no public news of a Zelda remake or remaster coming out in 2026 yet, and Nintendo's presentation this year focused only on its partners. 

Things start to make sense when you look at Nate the Hate's bigger plan for 2026. A remake or update of The Legend of Zelda and a big 3D Mario game that will be a big hit during the holidays are on his list of Nintendo's first-party games. This sounds like these projects will be shown off in a full Nintendo Direct, not just a partner display.

As more news comes in, this type of Nintendo Direct might happen in late February or early March. It could happen in the third week of February, but other sources say it will happen in March for Mario Day. Nintendo's yearly Direct is expected to happen around the start of the year. They usually make their big plans for the Switch 2 era public at this time.

Nintendo would be smart to show off Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Definitive Edition as part of its plan to make re-releases better if that Direct takes place. It's also a great spot to showcase a Zelda project tied to the series' 40th anniversary. The next question is, which Zelda game fits that?

People still want Ocarina of Time remade from the ground up, but even trustworthy sources say that might not happen for a while. 

Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are getting more and more attention instead. There are HD versions of both games for Wii U already, but most people still can't get to them. Wind Waker can only be played on Nintendo Switch Online in its original GameCube form. Twilight Princess, on the other hand, can't be played on any current devices.

Putting out Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD on Switch 2 at the same time would be a lot like what Nintendo did with the Super Mario Galaxy games for Mario's birthday. This kind of package would feel big without having to be made from scratch. It would have features exclusive to the Wii U, but it would also offer better speed, higher resolution, improved quality of life, and support for traditional controllers.

Apple has also thought about making these kinds of games in the past. As early as 2021, it was said that both HD versions were finished and just needed to be put out at the right time. That sounds great: the 40th-anniversary party and the release of new gear in the same year. Nintendo has even said publicly that the availability of older versions on Nintendo Switch Online doesn't mean they won't be working on new versions or remakes. 

From the point of view of a plan for when to share something, these games let you choose. A Direct could talk about them, and digital copies could come out right away, with physical copies coming later. Alternatively, they could come out one month after the news, as they did with previous anniversary releases. At the beginning of Switch 2's life, the pace would stay high no matter what.

You can take this as a hint that Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are still good choices.

The bigger picture backs up the idea that there will be more than one Zelda game in 2026. The most recent big Zelda game was Echoes of Wisdom, released in 2024. It was an adventure game played from above. Nintendo should start the Switch 2 era with a 3D Zelda game, even if it's just a remake. It fits with the company's long-term brand plan and what people expect from them.

There has also been more marketing of the Zelda brand through partnerships and merchandise. This suggests that the anniversary celebrations are part of a larger plan rather than a bunch of separate events. A full version of Ocarina of Time could still happen in the future. But releasing Wind Waker and Twilight Princess now would honor the past and make way for bigger projects in the future.

The Xenoblade Chronicles 2 leak, insider predictions, vague but right hints, and Nintendo's past behavior around anniversaries all point in the same direction. Nintendo might release a big game to celebrate Zelda's 40th anniversary instead of just ignoring the event.

Fans should think about this question. What old Zelda game should be the first to come back on Switch 2 if there is a new Zelda project soon? Nintendo might finally talk about what it has planned for one of the most popular video game series in the next few weeks. This goes for Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and other series as well.