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CultureQuiet 10d · day 13

Aonuma: Ocarina of Time Remake Team Includes Staff Who Never Played the Original

Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma says younger developers' lack of nostalgia for the N64 classic helped shape the Switch 2 remake.

newest coverage 9d agosummary written 9d ago5 pieces1.1k likes & upvotes12 comments MastodonNewswiresX

What to know

  • Aonuma says younger staff who never played the N64 original helped reshape Ocarina of Time for modern controls and expectations.
  • The remake launches as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive on November 5, 2026.
  • Aonuma ties the project to training younger developers and to the 40th anniversary of the original 1986 Legend of Zelda.
  • He leaves open how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment and a possible return to the Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom Hyrule could shape the next mainline game.

“In the first place, the reason I decided to make this a sequel to the previous work was because I thought there was value in experiencing a new game in that Hyrule place”

Eiji Aonuma, Zelda series producer, Nintendo · IGN ↗ · Oct 29

Eiji Aonuma Producer, Legend of Zelda series, NintendoNintendo Publisher/developerKoei Tecmo Collaborator on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Aonuma: Ocarina of Time Remake Team Includes Staff Who Never Played the Original
IGN

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in 3h at Oct 30, 5 AM; 5 pieces over 13 days (3 articles · 2 posts) Oct 30, 5 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Oct 30, 8 AM — quietOct 30, 11 AM — quietOct 30, 2 PM — quietOct 30, 5 PM — quietOct 30, 8 PM — quietOct 30, 11 PM — quietOct 31, 2 AM — quietOct 31, 5 AM — quietOct 31, 8 AM — quietOct 31, 11 AM — quietOct 31, 2 PM — quietOct 31, 5 PM — quietOct 31, 8 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 4 AM — quietNov 1, 7 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — quietNov 1, 1 PM — quietNov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 7 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 1 AM — quietNov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — X 1Nov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 1 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 7 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 1 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 1 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 1 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 1 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 1 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Newswires 2Nov 5, 1 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 1 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 1 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietNov 7, 1 AM — quietNov 7, 4 AM — quietNov 7, 7 AM — quietNov 7, 10 AM — quietNov 7, 1 PM — quietNov 7, 4 PM — quietNov 7, 7 PM — quietNov 7, 10 PM — quietNov 8, 1 AM — quietNov 8, 4 AM — quietNov 8, 7 AM — quietNov 8, 10 AM — quietNov 8, 1 PM — quietNov 8, 4 PM — quietNov 8, 7 PM — quietNov 8, 10 PM — quietNov 9, 1 AM — quietNov 9, 4 AM — quietNov 9, 7 AM — quietNov 9, 10 AM — quietNov 9, 1 PM — quietNov 9, 4 PM — quietNov 9, 7 PM — quietNov 9, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quietToday, 1 PM — quietToday, 4 PM — quietToday, 7 PM — quiet 12
Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6Nov 7Nov 8Nov 9yesterdaynow · 10:55 PM ET
  1. background

    Ocarina of Time remake launches on Nintendo Switch 2 — The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is scheduled to release as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive on November 5, 2026.

  2. 2

    Social post highlights Aonuma's 40th-anniversary remake motive

    A widely shared X post relays Aonuma's statement that the Ocarina of Time remake was partly conceived to train younger staff for future Zelda games, tying the project to the 40th anniversary of the original 1986 Legend of Zelda.

    “This year marks the 40th anniversary of the very first Legend of Zelda game. With that in mind, I was thinking about what I should create as the producer of the…”
    — Eiji Aonuma

    • Eiji Aonuma says he decided to remake Ocarina of Time in part to help train the younger staff on future Zelda games: "This year marks the 40th anniversary of the very first Legend of Zelda game. With that in mind, I was thinking about what I should create as the producer of the

      @Stealth40kX9d ago1.1k▲view on X ↗
  3. 2 days quiet
  4. 1

    Aonuma signals younger staff will shape future Zelda titles

    Aonuma said he is eager to see what younger staff imagine for future games and wants to guide them so they can think together about the next Zelda, pointing to the Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment collaboration with Koei Tecmo as a possible influence and leaving open a possible return to the Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom Hyrule.

    “The inspiration we received from this collaboration with Koei Tecmo may be reflected in the (next) Zelda we create…”
    — Eiji Aonuma
    1. 1 outlet Zelda Chief Eiji Aonuma Says Some of the Younger Members of the Ocarina of Time Remake Team Had Never Played the Original Game — and That's a Good Thing

      first by IGN, 12d ago

  5. background

    Aonuma says young staff never played original Ocarina of Time — Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma told AFP (via Japan Times) that some younger developers on the remake team had never played the N64 original, and that this unfamiliarity helped them rethink how the game should feel with modern controls.