Nintendo has officially confirmed the lead development team behind its highly anticipated remake of *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time*. As November 5, 2026, approaches—marking the launch date for the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive—fans now know which internal group was responsible for rebuilding the beloved 1998 classic.
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## Development Assigned to Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 3
Nintendo revealed through its *Ask the Developer Vol. 24* interview series that **EPD Production Group No. 3**, which has been in charge of most of the mainline 3D Zelda titles such as *Breath of the Wild* and *Tears of the Kingdom*, is leading this new remake.
This confirmation dispels months of speculation, including rumor-riddled reports linking Grezzo or Monolith Soft to the project.
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## Key Figures Behind the Remake
Several long-time and fresh names are steering the remake, each handling specific roles:
– **HokWai Ng**: Serving as director, this marks Ng’s first time leading a Nintendo project. He began at the company in 2006 as a planner and later worked in game design on *Tears of the Kingdom*.
– **Eiji Aonuma** and **Hidemaro Fujibayashi**: Appointed as producers, both bring decades of Zelda experience. Aonuma has worked on the series since the original *Ocarina of Time* on N64, while Fujibayashi directed recent major titles in the franchise.
– **Aya Shida** takes on Art Direction. Her portfolio includes *Pikmin 3*, *Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*, and *Tears of the Kingdom*.
– **Hiroki Taguchi** is the Program Director, building on his work from *Breath of the Wild*.
– **Masato Ohashi** leads the music and is one of the Sound Directors. His previous credits include *Animal Crossing: New Horizons* and the *Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass*.
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## Preserving Legacy, Embracing Fresh Perspectives
In the interviews, producers Aonuma and Fujibayashi emphasized their approach toward balancing preservation and innovation—retaining what made the original unforgettable while allowing space for reinterpretation.
Aonuma has mentioned that several younger team members either haven’t played the N64 original or weren’t working on it, which in his view provides a distinct opportunity. By reconstructing the game from the ground up, they can study its foundational structure and development style, potentially drawing lessons that influence future Zelda projects.
The development team worked intentionally to define what should remain faithful—such as the story pacing and narrative flow—and which changes felt necessary due to modern hardware or player expectations.
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## Early Choices: What Changed (and What Didn’t)
One particular design decision arose around the notion of adding warp points for convenience. Aonuma proposed this idea, thinking players may appreciate more accessible shortcuts across Hyrule Field. However, during testing, those warp points detracted from the sense of discovery—the unpredictable stops and hidden details. Ultimately, the team removed them.
This reflects the broader philosophy the developers adopted: modernizing where needed but preserving the spirit of *Ocarina of Time*. According to the creators, the remake retains the “carefully paced adventure” of the original and aims to deliver that structured gameplay for players more accustomed to open-world Zelda titles.
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## Launch Timeline & New Interviews
The remake goes on sale **November 5, 2026**, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo published Chapters 1 and 2 of *Ask the Developer Vol. 24* on **November 2**, focusing on the values preserved from the original, the art direction, and the overall experience—hinting at the interview segments to come. Chapters 3 and 4 were slated for November 3, promising insights into additional development stories.
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