After nine long months of radio silence, Nintendo finally broke the drought with a 50-minute Nintendo Direct on June 9, 2026 that delivered one bombshell after another. And the biggest one? The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake is officially real, coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 later this year. But that was not even the only thing that made fans lose their minds during the broadcast.
If you thought the summer showcase season was already wrapping up with Summer Game Fest 2026, Nintendo just proved everyone wrong. From a legendary 1998 classic being reborn to a Square Enix franchise that finally crossed over to a Nintendo platform, here is everything you need to know about the biggest announcements.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Is Officially Coming to Switch 2
Nintendo closed out the Direct by confirming what fans have been dreaming about for over a decade. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, widely regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made, is getting a full remake on the Nintendo Switch 2. And this is not just a simple remaster, Nintendo explicitly called it a remake, meaning we are looking at a complete rebuild from the ground up.
Originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, Ocarina of Time introduced millions of players to the world of Hyrule, the Hero of Time, and the Master Sword. It set the template for 3D action-adventure games and influenced an entire generation of game designers, including Hidetaka Miyazaki and Shuhei Yoshida, who have both cited it as a major influence on their work.
The brief teaser trailer shown during the Direct did not reveal much gameplay footage, but the phrase “reborn for Nintendo Switch 2” suggests that Nintendo EPD, the development team behind Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, will likely bring their signature art direction and modern design philosophy to this project. If the visual upgrade matches what Tears of the Kingdom achieved, we are in for something truly spectacular.
The release window is simply listed as 2026, which means we could potentially be playing it before the year ends. Given that Nintendo used the word “reborn” rather than “remastered,” expectations are through the roof, and for good reason.
Kingdom Hearts Is Finally Coming to a Nintendo Console
If the Zelda announcement was not enough, Nintendo dropped another absolute shocker: Kingdom Hearts is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2. For nearly 25 years, the Kingdom Hearts series has been a PlayStation exclusive, starting all the way back with the original Kingdom Hearts on PS2 in 2002.
During the Direct, Nintendo announced the Kingdom Hearts Collection, which bundles Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, and Kingdom Hearts III into a single package optimized for the Switch 2. This marks the first time any mainline Kingdom Hearts game will be playable on a Nintendo platform, and it is an absolutely historic moment for fans who have been begging for this crossover for years.
Tetsuya Nomura, the creative director of Kingdom Hearts, and Shinji Hashimoto have been at the helm of this franchise since its inception. The collaboration between Square Enix and Disney has produced some of the most beloved RPGs of the 2000s, and bringing it to Switch 2 opens up an entirely new audience. Imagine playing through Sora, Donald, and Goofy’s adventures on a portable Nintendo system, it is the kind of crossover that sounded impossible until today.
More Explosive Announcements From the June 2026 Nintendo Direct
The Direct did not stop at just those two reveals. Nintendo packed the presentation with enough announcements to keep gamers busy for the rest of the year:
- Xenoblade Genesis was announced, marking the next major entry in Monolith Soft’s beloved JRPG series. Xenoblade Chronicles has always been one of Nintendo’s most ambitious franchises, and Genesis looks to push things even further.
- Rhythm Heaven Groove made a surprise appearance, bringing Nintendo’s quirky rhythm game series back with fresh mechanics and an incredible soundtrack.
- Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Wheel was revealed, continuing Intelligent Systems’ streak of delivering some of the best tactical RPGs in the industry.
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword from Capcom also got a Nintendo Switch 2 release date confirmation, expanding its launch beyond PlayStation.
- Stellar Blade was announced for Switch 2, bringing the stylish action RPG to Nintendo’s latest console.
Why This Direct Changes Everything for Switch 2
The June 2026 Nintendo Direct is not just another showcase, it is a statement. After months of anticipation, Nintendo delivered a lineup that covers every genre: a legendary Zelda remake, a historic Square Enix crossover, a new Xenoblade entry, a rhythm game revival, a new Fire Emblem, and more.
For comparison, the PlayStation State of Play on June 2 delivered massive reveals like God of War Laufey, Marvel’s Wolverine, and Control Resonant. But Nintendo’s approach was different, focusing on franchises that have deep emotional connections with fans while also taking bold steps like bringing Kingdom Hearts to their platform for the first time.
With a release window of 2026 for Ocarina of Time Remake and several other titles landing in the second half of the year, Nintendo Switch 2 owners are looking at one of the strongest game lineups in recent memory. The real question is not whether any of these games will be good, but how Nintendo will manage to deliver all of them on time.
What Do You Think?
Are you more excited about the Ocarina of Time Remake or Kingdom Hearts finally coming to a Nintendo console? Do you think Nintendo EPD can deliver a remake that lives up to the legacy of the original, or are you worried they might change too much? And what do you make of the Kingdom Hearts Collection landing on Switch 2 after 25 years of PlayStation exclusivity?
Drop your thoughts in the comments below. Let us know which announcement from the June 2026 Nintendo Direct blew your mind the most, and which game you will be day-one purchasing on Switch 2!
