The rumor mill for future Legend of Zelda games is currently in full swing, with everything from a supposed Ocarina of Time remake to a Ganondorf spin-off reportedly in the works, but, surprisingly, such details have somehow managed to bury what’s arguably the bigger leak: the next mainline Legend of Zelda game. To be clear, should they prove true, the remake and spin-off are completely welcome, but we’re talking the next main 3D game in line after Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
For the uninitiated, reliable leaker Nate the Hate has stated that a full-blown remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 this holiday season, marking the big holiday game for the new console. Similarly, Nash Weedle (who is more of a hit-or-miss leaker) has suggested a new 2D Zelda game focused on Ganondorf is in the works, using the same engine and approach as Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Whether either of these leaks proves true remains to be seen, but there is a third that has flown under the radar to add to the pile.
I Recently Marathoned the Legend of Zelda Games, and Here’s My Official Ranking
The Legend of Zelda is a classic franchise that I skipped out on over the years, so marathoning them let me form my own opinions on many classics.
The Next Open-World Zelda Game May Include Dimension Hopping Gameplay
Shpeshal Nick, a known and generally reliable leaker, revealed new details regarding the next tentpole Legend of Zelda game during Episode 294 of the XboxEra Podcast (around the 1:22 time mark). His claims should be taken with a grain of salt, but his track record grants him far more grace than other leaks. According to Nick, the next major mainline Zelda game will be another open-world entry akin to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, set in the same world, built on the same engine with a few enhancements.
Click or tap on the games that match the category
Whereas BotW established the surface of Hyrule and TotK went above and below, this new Zelda game is said to venture across more “dimensions.” It’s unclear if it’s one or multiple, but it sounds similar to the dimension-hopping gameplay seen in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. For example, players are able to hop between dimensions through tears in reality that allow players to merge puzzles in different realms. One example given is luring a charging bull to a target in one dimension to open a door in the player’s dimension; another is using water from one dimension to float items to the surface of a pool-like room in the player’s dimension.
Nick does finish off by saying he doesn’t know the release date but assumes that it is years away, with known reporter Jeff Grubb adding that it makes sense for the game to be 2-3 years away as of late 2025. In other words, somewhere between 2027-2029 makes sense for this game’s specific development timeline. What’s more, if Ocarina of Time remake does drop in 2026 and the Ganondorf spin-off hits in 2027, that would fall in line here too.
Drag weapons to fill the grid
Drag weapons to fill the grid
EasyMediumHard
Of course, until Nintendo outright confirms the next Zelda game, fans should be patient. It does sound believable and a natural progression of open-world Zelda games. Not to mention, many Zelda games have traveled across dimensions or featured dimension-shifting gameplay, so it would make sense for it to finally arrive in this new era of Zelda games.
