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Nintendo Announces Double Dose of Directs Next Week, Including a Zelda Anniversary Celebration!

bekir September 4, 2026 4 min read 4 views
Nintendo Announces Double Dose of Directs Next Week, Including a Zelda Anniversary Celebration!

Get ready, Nintendo fans! The Big N has just unveiled plans for not one, but two upcoming Nintendo Direct broadcasts next week. One will be dedicated entirely to celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, while the other will serve as a general overview of upcoming games and announcements. Mark your calendars!

The Legend of Zelda: A 40-Year Legacy

The Zelda Direct is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8th, at 7:00 AM Pacific / 10:00 AM Eastern / 3:00 PM UK time. This half-hour broadcast promises updates on the entire Zelda franchise, including a deeper look at the highly anticipated Ocarina of Time remake and potentially our first proper glimpse of the upcoming live-action Legend of Zelda movie slated for release next year.

Nintendo Confirms 2 Nintendo Direct Broadcasts for Next Week, Including a Dedicated Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Broadcast
A promotional image featuring iconic characters from across The Legend of Zelda series.

Beyond Hyrule: The General Nintendo Direct

Following the Zelda celebration, a more general Nintendo Direct will air 24 hours later, on Wednesday, September 9th, at the same time (7:00 AM Pacific / 10:00 AM Eastern / 3:00 PM UK). This broadcast is expected to last 45 minutes and will be followed by an extended 110-minute Nintendo Treehouse stream featuring gameplay of titles showcased in the Direct. Expect announcements about upcoming Switch 2 games, hardware reveals, and more!

Nintendo Confirms 2 Nintendo Direct Broadcasts for Next Week, Including a Dedicated Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Broadcast
A collage showcasing various Nintendo Switch 2 game logos, hinting at potential announcements.

Ocarina of Time Remake: What to Expect

I’m personally hoping that Nintendo will pull back the curtain on the Ocarina of Time remake and give fans a comprehensive look at how they’ve modernized this timeless classic. With Nintendo confirming its release for this year, and with only a few months left in 2026, we’re rapidly approaching launch.

Nintendo Confirms 2 Nintendo Direct Broadcasts for Next Week, Including a Dedicated Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Broadcast
A mock-up image comparing the original Ocarina of Time graphics to potential updated visuals.

The Live-Action Zelda Movie: Casting and Teasers

With the live-action Legend of Zelda movie rapidly approaching its release, now seems like the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to officially announce the remaining cast members – although much of it has already leaked online. While Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason have been confirmed as Link and Zelda, reports indicate that Uli Latukefu will portray Ganondorf and Dichen Lachman will play Impa. Yvonne Strahovski, Lydia Peckham and the late Sam Neil are also part of the ensemble cast. I’m anticipating a teaser trailer to drop during one of the broadcasts.

Nintendo Confirms 2 Nintendo Direct Broadcasts for Next Week, Including a Dedicated Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Broadcast
A promotional poster for the upcoming live-action Legend of Zelda movie.

Limited Edition Hardware: Get Ready to Spend Some Rupees

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for those special edition Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 consoles and Joy-Cons. Hopefully, they won’t break the bank!

Nintendo Confirms 2 Nintendo Direct Broadcasts for Next Week, Including a Dedicated Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Broadcast
A leaked image (or artist rendering) of a potential limited edition Nintendo Switch 2 console themed after The Legend of Zelda.

Looking Ahead: Potential Announcements

Beyond Ocarina, what else could we see? With time ticking down until the release of Nintendo and Sony’s live-action Zelda movie, now seems like the right time to make the rest of the film’s casting official — although much of it has now leaked. Upcoming Switch 2 games such as Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave (launching September 17) and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort (October 22) are safe bets. Could we get a glimpse of the company’s long-awaited 3D Mario? It’d be lovely to think so, but this is far from assured. Still, I’m expecting to see at least one more Switch 2 title added to its release list for early next year from a smaller Nintendo series, perhaps a new Luigi’s Mansion or 2D Metroid.

Nintendo Confirms 2 Nintendo Direct Broadcasts for Next Week, Including a Dedicated Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Broadcast
A mock-up image showcasing potential upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 game logos, including speculation about a new 3D Mario title.

As always, IGN will be providing comprehensive coverage of all the big announcements as they happen – make sure to tune in with us next week!

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

For 40 years, Link has been traversing the fields and ruins of Hyrule in a seemingly never-ending quest to save Princess Zelda. His journey has spanned many consoles, redefining the franchise in many ways. From its humble beginnings on the NES to the groundbreaking 3D action-adventure in Ocarina of Time, we decided to take a look back at The Legend of Zelda’s impressive history in gaming, bringing you the very best mainline Zelda games, ranked.
A list of the top 10 Legend of Zelda games, ranked by critical acclaim and fan popularity.

<h3>10. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</h3> Twilight Princess gets an unfairly bad rap among Zelda fans. As the darker and edgier Zelda, it often receives unfavorable comparisons to Wind Waker, which has arguably held up better in comparison. But buried under all the cruft is a quality Zelda adventure, with a large world to explore, many enjoyable sidequests, and some great dungeons, the Snowpeak Ruins being a highlight. But the strongest element of Twilight Princess by far is Midna, a snarky imp who rides around on Wolf Link's back and basically trolls him for the duration of the game. <br> <br> She's a far more appealing companion than the pestering Navi, her story tying firmly into Twilight Princess' world and lore. She gives Twilight Princess a style all its own — a style that deserves more respect than it's been given over the years. It's not quite enough to push it into the upper level of Zelda releases — the bloat in this game is extreme — but it's still a quality entry with a lot to offer the Zelda mythos. -- Kat Bailey
An image showcasing various Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, including Joy-Cons, Pro Controllers, and docks.

<h3>9. The Legend of Zelda</h3> The original Legend of Zelda stands as a testament to the power and allure of sprawling, vast video game worlds. It was ambitious enough to throw you right into the middle of a world infested by monsters without so much as a weapon to defend yourself, confident that the thrill of free-roaming exploration would lead players to investigate, experiment, and find their own way. <br> <br> The Legend of Zelda cast aside linear paths and storytelling in favor an open-ended exploration that continues to be iterated on to this day, and crammed its world full of dungeons and secrets that endeared itself to encouraging players into sharing tips and revelations with their friends at school. Even now, it stands the test of time as one of the best examples of giving players the freedom to find their own path, learn from mistakes, and slowly master a strange new world. -- Brendan Graeber
A promotional image highlighting the features of the Nintendo Treehouse stream, emphasizing gameplay demonstrations and developer commentary.

<h3>8. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds</h3> A Link Between Worlds was a pleasant surprise when it first released on Nintendo 3DS in 2013. Initially dismissed as a pale copy of A Link to the Past, fans were surprised and delighted by its non-linear progression and high-quality dungeon design. Far from a mere knockoff, A Link Between Worlds turned out to be one of the tightest, most enjoyable Zelda experience in years. Because it's a portable entry, A Link Between Worlds tends to be overlooked when discussing the top Zelda games, which is a shame. <br> <br> While it's in some ways a tribute to A Link to the Past, featuring many of the beats of the original, it also stands up rather well on its own. The ability to tackle dungeons in any order hints at the direction Breath of the Wild would take a few years later, and its story is surprisingly emotional, with a wonderful reveal at the end that will delight fans. As a tribute to classic Zelda, A Link Between Worlds is a wonderful treat. -- Kat Bailey
A mock-up image comparing the graphics of a classic 2D Metroid game to potential updated visuals for a new installment.

<h3>7. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening</h3> The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening crafts one of the more unique stories in the Legend of Zelda Franchise. The world, characters, and story venture off the beaten path and succeed without relying on locations or characters like Zelda and Ganon that are typically expected to appear. <br> <br> We’ve seen three iterations of Link’s Awakening, and each one’s additions to the formula have made this entry on the list even better. The DX version included an additional dungeon and filled the world with vivid colors. The 2019 remake advanced it further with an updated art style for its characters, world, and overall visuals that energized the heartfelt moments throughout Link’s journey like never before. New additions like “The Chamber Dungeon” added replayability, allowing us to create and explore custom dungeons and share them with our friends. <br> <br> Link’s Awakening is a testament to the franchise with its dungeons, puzzles, and music which became the foundation for many of the future Zelda games. It is one of the simpler games in the franchise, but the mastery of the gameplay loop and core elements of what it means to be a traditional Zelda game is what makes it special for Legend of Zelda fans. -- Jada Griffin
An artist rendering of a potential new Luigi’s Mansion game, showcasing a spooky and atmospheric setting.

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