Nintendo Confirms Two Directs Next Week With a Dedicated Zelda 40th Anniversary Showcase

The Legend of Zelda gets its own 30-minute presentation on September 8, followed by a 45-minute Nintendo Direct and 110-minute Treehouse stream the next day.

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The upcoming Ocarina of Time remake is expected to receive a major showcase during Nintendo’s Zelda anniversary presentation. (Image via Nintendo)

Nintendo is preparing a major week of announcements, confirming two Nintendo Direct presentations for September 2026. The first will focus entirely on The Legend of Zelda as Nintendo celebrates the franchise’s 40th anniversary, while the second will provide updates on upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 games and other projects.

The Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct is scheduled for September 8 at 7 a.m. PT, 10 a.m. ET and 3 p.m. UK time. It will run for approximately 30 minutes, potentially giving Nintendo enough time to showcase the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake and provide new information about the live-action Legend of Zelda movie.

A general Nintendo Direct will follow just 24 hours later on September 9 at the same broadcast times. That presentation will run for 45 minutes before Nintendo hosts a 110-minute Treehouse livestream featuring additional gameplay from selected games.

Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct Could Finally Reveal More About Ocarina of Time

The dedicated Zelda presentation arrives during an important year for Nintendo’s legendary adventure franchise. Nintendo has already confirmed that its Ocarina of Time remake is scheduled to launch in 2026, making the September 8 presentation a logical opportunity to provide a substantial gameplay showcase.

Nintendo has yet to reveal how extensively the remake will modernize the original Nintendo 64 adventure. A full gameplay presentation could therefore offer the first detailed look at its visual upgrades, redesigned environments and other changes.

Nintendo’s upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie could also receive an update during the anniversary broadcast. (Image via Nintendo)

The presentation could also provide an update on the upcoming live-action Legend of Zelda movie. Nintendo and Sony Pictures are developing the film, with Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason officially cast as Link and Zelda. Additional casting reports have pointed to several other actors, although Nintendo has not formally confirmed all of those roles.

With production moving closer, a first teaser or additional casting information would make sense for the anniversary presentation. Nintendo could also use the occasion to reveal special Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Switch 2 hardware and Joy-Con designs.

September Nintendo Direct Will Highlight Switch 2’s Future

The general Nintendo Direct on September 9 is expected to focus more broadly on the company’s upcoming games. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, which launches September 17, is an obvious candidate for additional promotion, while Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is scheduled for October 22.

Nintendo has revealed relatively little about its 2027 Switch 2 lineup, leaving room for potential surprises during the presentation. Fans could see another major first-party announcement, although speculation surrounding a new 3D Mario game remains unconfirmed.

The following 110-minute Nintendo Treehouse livestream should then provide extended gameplay footage from games featured during the Direct. Together, the two presentations give Nintendo an unusually large platform to showcase its upcoming Switch 2 lineup and celebrate four decades of The Legend of Zelda.

Verified since 2024 Senior Content Writer

Martha Pierce is a Senior Content Writer at OtakuKart bringing a production-side perspective to entertainment journalism. Her coverage examines development pipelines, network strategies, streaming wars, and award-season positioning across major studios and streaming platforms.

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