The highly anticipated remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has received a major update ahead of its release, being given its official rating from the ESRB. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is set to launch in early November as Nintendo’s biggest title of the holiday season.
Nintendo has already given fans plenty of reason to be excited about the remake of the classic 3D Zelda adventure. The Ocarina of Time remake features a stunning recreation of one of Hyrule’s most iconic iterations, showcasing breathtaking new versions of classic landmarks like Kokiri Forest, Hyrule Castle Town, and Zora’s Domain. The remake will also launch with a multitude of quality of life updates, ranging from the Threads of Time feature, which serves as a full synopsis of the game so far, to voice controls for the ocarina. Now, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has crossed a major hurdle just a few weeks ahead of its debut.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Receives Official ESRB Rating
- E10+ for Animated Blood and Fantasy Violence
The ESRB has officially published its rating for the upcoming Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. The North American video games rating board gave the Ocarina of Time remake a rating of E10+, suitable for gamers age 10 and older, citing the inclusion of animated blood and fantasy violence. The summary for the game included mentions of the types of content that gave Ocarina of Time its E10+ rating, including green and purple blood-like effects and the use of weapons like swords, shields, and bows and arrows. The description also included some elements of Ocarina of Time‘s combat as reasons for the fantasy violence tag, such as “impact sounds” and “cries of pain” from some enemies.
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The Ocarina of Time remake’s E10+ rating should not come as a major surprise to fans of the series. Most of the Zelda franchise’s recent games have been rated E10+ by the ESRB for similar reasons, including Tears of the Kingdom, Echoes of Wisdom, and Skyward Sword HD. Only three games in the franchise have received a rating higher than E10+ following the establishment of the ESRB in the 1990s, with Twilight Princess, the Twilight Princess HD remaster, and its direct spin-off, Link’s Crossbow Training, receiving a T (Teen) rating. Some of the franchise’s 2D adventures have also received lower ratings, including Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, and Link’s Awakening, all of which were given the E (Everyone) rating.
The launch of Ocarina of Time will come with plenty more fanfare to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the franchise. Nintendo is officially debuting both a special Zelda 40th anniversary Switch 2 console and a Switch 2 Pro Controller ahead of the launch of the remake, with the console featuring green Joy-Cons with a stunning Triforce design. The company has also confirmed that the Ocarina of Time remake will receive Amiibo figures of both Young Link and Princess Zelda in 2027, which will grant special in-game masks.
Ocarina of Time is expected to lead the charge for Nintendo in the 2026 holiday season alongside several other major releases. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave launched in late September as the first major game in the franchise on the Nintendo Switch 2, with Nintendo recently revealing the Expansion Pass for the newest Fire Emblem game. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort was also released on October 22 as a follow-up to the original Switch’s motion control sports game, adding skateboarding and thumb wrestling as new sports. Nintendo has set itself up for a successful holiday season in 2026, featuring some of its most popular franchises.
- Released
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November 5, 2026
- ESRB
-
Everyone 10+ / Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
