While other publishers scramble to avoid Grand Theft Auto 6‘s massive shadow, Nintendo seems content to drop its highly anticipated Ocarina of Time remake on Switch 2 just eight days earlier on November 11. A Reddit post by user gaysaucemage points out that Nintendo has a habit of releasing amiibo on the same day as major game launches. In this case, Sword Kirby and Dragoon and Noir Dedede and Hydra amiibo are reportedly scheduled for release on November 11th, as listed on the Nintendo UK store links shared by the user in the post. To make matters even more suspicious, the links are now broken, suggesting the Nintendo UK store took down the information for the time being.
However, if all of this is true, the Ocarina of Time remake would launch on Switch 2 just a week before GTA 6, all while just about every other major release has either been slated for a September 2026 release or delayed to 2027 just to avoid one of the biggest launches in video game history. The biggest catch is that November 11, 2026 is on a Wednesday, whereas Nintendo typically releases its games on Thursdays. Even so, it’s possible that the amiibo could be released on November 11 and the Ocarina of Time remake on November 12, a Thursday. Either way, if Nintendo truly is planning a November 12, 2026, it will officially be the only major game that’s not afraid of Grand Theft Auto 6—and honestly, it has no reason to be.
The Ocarina of Time Remake Is Practically Bulletproof
The thing is, if there were any game that has no reason to fear the industry-wide atom bomb that will be the launch of GTA 6, it’s the Ocarina of Time remake on Switch 2. This is not only a remake that Zelda fans have been dreaming of for decades, but it’s a remake that has the potential to make what is widely considered one of the greatest video games ever made feel new again. With the unprecedented power of the Nintendo Switch 2 behind it, Ocarina of Time has the potential to feel like a brand-new release again, and with a whole new audience ready to experience the way it was meant to be experienced.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
In other words, the Ocarina of Time remake is practically bulletproof. Much like GTA 6 itself, there is very little that could stop a massive audience of players from purchasing it, and it’s very likely its launch could result in even more Nintendo Switch 2 sales, as FOMO sets in and those currently without the console feel the need to bite the bullet they’ve long dodged. That, though it is speculation, albeit grounded speculation, speaks volumes of Ocarina of Time‘s legacy and its potential to leave a lasting mark on the industry, just as it did almost 30 years ago.
Of course, it’s worth mentioning that the Ocarina of Time remake is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, while GTA 6 is a multi-platform launch, so there’s no denying that the latter will completely demolish the former in sales numbers. The only caveat there is that if you factor in the sales of Ocarina of Time itself alongside the potential Switch 2 sales that Nintendo could get from it, especially if there ends up being a bundle of some kind, the highly anticipated remake could rank up there with GTA 6. Still, the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 should theoretically be unbothered by the release of Ocarina of Time due to the platform gap, and vice versa, so the comparison is meant to be taken lightly.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Throws a Kink in the OoT Release Date Rumors—But Only a Small One
The biggest catch to consider here is that Metaphor: ReFantazio, Atlus and Studio Zero’s highly successful 2024 RPG, is already scheduled for a Switch 2 release on November 12, 2026. In light of that, it could be that Nintendo is launching its Sword Kirby and Dragoon and Noir Dedede and Hydra amiibo on November 11 for that reason. It also feels unlikely that Metaphor: ReFantazio and the Ocarina of Time remake would launch on the same day, the two being as big as they are. However, despite being a new Switch 2 release, Metaphor: ReFantazio is now almost a two-year-old game, so Nintendo might still be willing to let it occupy the same space as Ocarina of Time.
Plus, it would make a bit of sense for Nintendo to release the Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake in November, as the original game launched in November 1998. In that way, it wouldn’t be a perfect 30-year anniversary, but it would still be a way for Nintendo to retrospectively honor the Nintendo 64 game that started it all. What would be even gutsier is if Nintendo went ahead and released the Ocarina of Time remake on November 19, 2026, on the same day as Rockstar’s GTA 6 launch and even closer to the November 21, 1998 (November 23 in the US) release date of the original Ocarina of Time. Again, if there’s any game that has no reason to fear that day, it’s Ocarina of Time.
Any Other Game Is Right to Be Afraid of GTA 6
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Image via Rockstar Games -
Source: Rockstar -
Every other game, however, has every reason to be afraid of GTA 6 and every right to delay its release date or schedule it for an earlier launch in order to avoid the inevitable fallout. GTA 6 is already expected to be a record-breaking launch, and it has acted as an industry dam for quite some time now as developers presumably do everything they can to avoid releasing their games around the same time as Rockstar opens the floodgates. While there isn’t always definitive proof, as developers don’t always publicly reveal that they’ve intentionally avoided the release of GTA 6, the pattern became pretty clear after Rockstar revealed the game’s November 19, 2026 release date on November 6, 2025.
Games Delayed After GTA 6’s Release Date Was Announced
- Fable – Moved from autumn 2026 to February 23, 2027. Microsoft explicitly named GTA 6 while explaining that Fable needed its own dedicated moment.
- Lords of the Fallen 2 – Moved from fall 2026 to Q1 2027. CI Games cited additional development time and the advantage of leaving a “highly competitive holiday period.” It didn’t name GTA 6, but the implication is extremely strong.
- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis – Moved from 2026 to February 12, 2027. Neither Sony nor Crystal Dynamics publicly blamed GTA 6, but the move was immediately and widely interpreted as avoiding Rockstar’s holiday window.
- Valor Mortis – Moved from September 24 to October 13, 2026 because September had become overloaded. This is technically one step removed, as GTA 6 apparently pushed everyone toward September, and September’s congestion then pushed Valor Mortis into October.
September 2026 Games Supposedly Launching Early to Avoid GTA 6
- The Blood of Dawnwalker – September 3
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword – September 4
- Marvel’s Wolverine – September 15
- Dune: Awakening console release – September 22
- Control Resonant – September 24
- Silent Hill: Townfall – September 24
- Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve early access – September 29
October 2026 Games Supposedly Launching Early to Avoid GTA 6
- Gears of War: E-Day – October 6
- Star Wars: Galactic Racer – October 6
- Final Fantasy Resonance – October 22
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – October 23
- Phantom Blade Zero – October 29
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Image via: Rockstar Games -
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Image via Rockstar Games
Looking at all of that, the pattern is pretty hard to ignore. Publishers have spent months loading up September and October or pushing their games into 2027, presumably because they know how difficult it will be to get any attention once GTA 6 arrives on November 19. If the Ocarina of Time remake really does launch on November 12, Nintendo would be doing the exact opposite by putting one of its biggest Switch 2 games right in front of the release everyone else has been trying to avoid. Maybe Nintendo knows the platform gap will keep the two games from stepping on each other’s toes, or maybe it simply knows Ocarina of Time is one of the few games with enough history behind it to survive that close to GTA 6. Either way, it would be one of the boldest release date decisions of the year.
Basically, what I’m saying is that the rumored November release date makes a lot more sense than it probably should. Metaphor: ReFantazio still gives the amiibo listings another possible explanation, and none of this should be taken as confirmation that the Ocarina of Time remake is actually launching on November 12. However, if Nintendo really is willing to release it just one week before GTA 6, it would say everything about how confident the company is in both the remake and the Switch 2. Every other major publisher seems to be treating November 19 like a date to run from, but Ocarina of Time might be the one game big enough to stand right next to it without blinking.
- Released
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2026
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Number of Players
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Single-player
