Monolith Soft announced it helped develop Ocarina of Time for Switch 2

This is a new development in a story we reported earlier: Hands‑on previews show Switch 2 Ocarina of Time remake’s updated controls and puzzles. Earlier in this story: Nintendo reveals Switch 2 Ocarina integration in Ocarina of Time remake trailer.

Nintendo confirmed earlier this week that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Switch 2 was developed internally by Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning & Development Production Group No. 3. Monolith Soft officially announced it handled partial contract development of the game design, programming, and graphics for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Switch 2.

Monolith Soft said its contribution covered game design, programming, and graphics rather than full development of the remake. Nintendo Everything reported that speculation attributing the remake to Monolith Soft was largely inaccurate, clarifying that Entertainment Planning & Development Production Group No. 3 carried out most of the work internally. The studio is listed in the special thanks section of the game’s credits.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time releases worldwide on Switch 2 on November 5, 2026. The game is a Switch 2 exclusive and will not work on the original Switch.

Polygon lists release times including 9 p.m. PST on November 4 for the west coast of North America and 12 a.m. EST on November 5 for the east coast. Midnight launches occur on November 5 in Brazil, the U.K., western Europe, Japan, and Australia.

U.S. pre-order customers receive one bonus, a game case with a special foil art cover, which sold out on Amazon. The Switch 2 Ocarina of Time console bundle includes only the console and does not come with the game.

The remake’s developers include producers Eiji Aonuma and Hidemaro Fujibayashi, director HokWai Ng, programmer Hiroki Taguchi, artist Aya Shida, and composer Masato Ohashi. Eiji Aonuma said one reason for the remake was to help current Zelda team members who did not work on the original understand its lessons and apply them to future games. He noted that 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the very first Legend of Zelda game.

Aonuma worked on the original Ocarina of Time as dungeon designer and game planner. Developers on the Switch 2 remake admit they did not play the original game until the last few years. Game Developer reported that recent Legend of Zelda titles have moved away from Ocarina of Time’s linear dungeon formula toward what Aonuma terms open-air exploration in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Monolith Soft has assisted with Zelda games since the Switch generation, including Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild. Monolith Soft helped with Splatoon Raiders in 2026 and worked on the Switch 2 Edition of the Xenoblade games. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is returning next month. Nintendo Life reported that the Switch 2 console arrived in June 2026.

Monolith Soft’s official website now lists The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on its game page. Monolith Soft is the developer behind the Xenoblade Chronicles series. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is coming to Switch in March 2025. The studio worked with Bandai Namco to create Xenosaga before Nintendo’s initial purchase.

Nintendo bought 80 percent of Monolith Soft’s shares from Bandai Namco in 2007 and increased its stake to 96 percent in 2011. Before the full acquisition, Nintendo held 96 percent while the original founders held four percent. Nintendo acquired the remaining shares to reach 100 percent sometime after March 2024, when the studio’s company brochure still listed Nintendo as a 96 percent holder. It is unknown when or why the founders sold their remaining shares to Nintendo.

Hirohide Sugiura, Tetsuya Takahashi, and Yasuyuki Honne founded Monolith Soft; all three were formerly of Square Enix, with Takahashi and Honne serving as director and lead artist on Xenogears. KitGuru reported that Monolith Soft assisted Nintendo with engine work for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. The complete list of voice actors for all languages appeared earlier the week of release.

Nintendo usually does not provide exact release times for first-party games, and eShop releases launch at midnight in the easternmost time zone of the player’s region. Players can play Ocarina of Time early if their Nintendo Account is linked to another region, though re-registering an existing account is tedious and potentially problematic because save data is tied to it.