Zelda: Wind Waker, Twilight Princess Officially Return Later This Year

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess remain 2 of Nintendo’s most beloved games, and fans have been hoping to see both return on modern hardware for years. The 2 Legend of Zelda games offered drastically different interpretations of Hyrule, with The Wind Waker embracing a colorful, cartoon-inspired art style and Twilight Princess taking a considerably darker approach.

Both eventually received HD remasters on the Wii U, but neither has received a native Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 release, despite years of fan demand. The demand for The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess is particularly interesting in 2026, as Nintendo celebrates the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. Fans know that the Ocarina of Time remake and upcoming live-action movie remain the focus, but that hasn’t stopped fans from hoping Nintendo will revisit some of Link’s other adventures, particularly the classic GameCube games.

Zelda: Master Collection Officially Highlights The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and More

Exploring a town in The Legend Of Zelda The Wind Waker (2013)

While there’s still no indication that either game is getting another remaster, both are officially making a comeback in a different way. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are both returning as part of a newly revealed trading card collection celebrating the franchise’s 40th anniversary. Called The Legend of Zelda: Master Collection, the upcoming release is being developed in collaboration with Panini, the Italian company best known for its trading cards and collectible sticker albums. The collection celebrates the entire history of The Legend of Zelda, featuring artwork inspired by its various games, characters, and eras. Both The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are included, alongside nearly every other major entry in the franchise.

Scratch & Peek

Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.

The collection will feature artwork celebrating everything from the original The Legend of Zelda game to more recent releases like Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and Echoes of Wisdom. Other confirmed games include A Link to the Past, Link’s Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, The Minish Cap, Skyward Sword, and A Link Between Worlds, among others. A dedicated album will also be available for storing the cards, while Panini has already showcased the collection’s box art.

For fans of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, their inclusion is a nice reminder of how important both games remain to the franchise. The Wind Waker was initially divisive because of its cel-shaded visuals, but its art style has arguably aged better than many games from the same generation. Twilight Princess, meanwhile, remains beloved for its darker atmosphere, memorable dungeons, and unique mechanics involving Wolf Link.

Obviously, trading cards aren’t going to satisfy Zelda fans who have been waiting years for The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess to become playable on modern Nintendo consoles. Still, The Legend of Zelda: Master Collection is an interesting way to celebrate the franchise’s history, particularly because it doesn’t limit itself to the most recent or commercially successful entries. With Ocarina of Time getting the remake treatment this year, there’s certainly an argument that The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess deserve another chance in the spotlight, too. Whether Nintendo has anything planned for either game remains to be seen.