The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is shaping up to be more than a simple visual overhaul of the classic Nintendo 64 game, with its official map highlighting at least one major change and a handful of smaller ones. While Nintendo has already shown off the game’s updated visuals and several changes to how Link explores Hyrule, a new official map is giving fans an early look at how the world of Zelda: Ocarina of Time itself may have been changed. There are several differences worth noting, but one location in particular has gotten a lot of attention.
The Ice Cavern could be one of the more substantial changes coming to the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. In the original game, the Ice Cavern was a relatively small dungeon that Link explored to obtain the Iron Boots, making it much shorter than the major dungeons in Zelda: Ocarina of Time. That is changing.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s Ice Dungeon is Bigger, Plus More Changes
The new map, however, appears to give the icy location considerably more space, making its expansion confirmed and opening up the idea of it being a full dungeon this time around. Said possibility has quickly become one of the more interesting observations from the new Ocarina of Time map. The top comment in a Reddit discussion about the map specifically points out that the Ice Cavern “looks expanded” and could be “a full-on dungeon this time around instead of a mini dungeon.” Other fans have made similar observations about the location, with some suggesting that the additional space could leave room for new rooms and puzzles.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
There are other noticeable differences across the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake map as well. Fans have pointed out changes around Hyrule Castle Town, Kakariko Village, Zora’s River, Death Mountain, and Gerudo Valley, with some locations appearing to have additional structures or areas. The map therefore reinforces the trailer: Nintendo has made broader changes to Hyrule instead of simply rebuilding the original locations with new graphics. How extensive they are remains to be seen.
When it comes to dungeons, the map changes also raise questions about possibly restoring cut content. The Light Temple is one possibility worth bringing up, even though it was never a physical location on the final game’s map. The Light Temple was reportedly part of earlier concepts for Ocarina of Time before being removed, and the remake’s apparent changes to the world could leave room for Nintendo to revisit ideas that never made it into the original. Nothing currently confirms the Light Temple will return, but if the remake is making meaningful changes to Hyrule’s layout, locations, and dungeons, previously cut concepts like this become more plausible possibilities to watch for.
Still, the Ice Cavern would be an obvious candidate for expansion in the Ocarina of Time remake. The original version treated it as a shorter area between Zora’s Fountain and the Water Temple, so turning it into a larger dungeon would give Nintendo an opportunity to add new content without changing one of the game’s major story beats. The Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is scheduled to launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5, so the answers to how different Hyrule is now are not far away.
- Released
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November 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
