Nintendo Says Zelda's 40th Anniversary Plans Will Continue Into 2027

Nintendo is not ready to close the book on The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary celebrations. In the company's latest financial results, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said the publisher will continue pursuing initiatives for the series "over the course of this year and next," extending the landmark anniversary campaign into 2027.

The statement arrives as the anniversary has already produced several major Zelda-focused releases and announcements. Most notably, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has received a remake in 2026, putting one of the most celebrated games in the medium back in the spotlight. Nintendo has also rolled out a recent 40th anniversary Switch 2 collection, including a themed Switch 2 console and Pro Controller, though demand has made those hardware items difficult for many prospective buyers to obtain.

Furukawa's remarks confirm that the company sees the occasion as more than a single-game launch or a limited hardware promotion. However, the details also point toward a wide entertainment and merchandise campaign rather than providing a clear hint that another Zelda game announcement is imminent.

A celebration designed to reach beyond games

Furukawa specifically said Nintendo intends to expand opportunities for people to experience Zelda's world through the upcoming movie, music, character merchandise, and more, alongside games. That wording matters because it frames the next phase of the anniversary as a multi-format effort.

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Two major parts of that effort are already known. A live-action The Legend of Zelda film is scheduled to arrive in April 2027, placing one of Nintendo's largest franchises on the movie calendar during the extended anniversary window. A major Zelda concert tour is also planned for next year, offering another way for fans to engage with the series outside of a console release.

Those initiatives fit naturally with Nintendo's stated focus on broadening access to Zelda's universe. The series has long had an unusually recognizable musical identity, from the overworld themes associated with Hyrule to the distinctive melodies connected with Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, and individual locations across its many eras. An orchestral tour gives Nintendo a direct way to turn that musical legacy into a live event, while the film represents a much wider attempt to bring the property to audiences beyond its traditional player base.

Merchandise is also explicitly part of the plan. Nintendo did not outline particular product lines or reveal which characters and eras of the series will receive attention, so there is no basis yet for assuming a specific figure range, collectible, apparel line, or tie-in product. Still, Furukawa's comments make clear that character goods will be among the company's tools for carrying the anniversary through 2027.

"Over the course of this year and next, we will pursue a variety of initiatives to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda," Furukawa said.

Ocarina of Time gives the anniversary a major gaming centerpiece

The arrival of the Ocarina of Time remake gives Nintendo's celebration an enormous gaming focal point. The original Nintendo 64 title remains one of the most influential action-adventure games ever made, with its move into 3D Hyrule helping establish conventions that the wider industry would adopt for years afterward. Revisiting it during Zelda's 40th year gives Nintendo a clear bridge between the franchise's history and its modern Switch 2 strategy.

The remake is also being received as a defining release of 2026. It has been described as the year's highest-rated game, underlining how much attention Nintendo's return to this particular Zelda adventure has commanded. That success makes it understandable that the company would use the release as the anchor for a larger anniversary program rather than treating it as an isolated nostalgia project.

At the same time, a remake of a foundational Zelda title does not automatically reveal what is next for the franchise's original game development. Nintendo has not announced a new mainline Zelda game as part of Furukawa's comments, nor has it offered a release timeframe, title, or development update for the next wholly new adventure.

That distinction is important. Zelda anniversaries can include games, but they can also encompass concerts, hardware, collector products, exhibits, films, and other events. Furukawa's broad language leaves room for additional game-related news, yet it does not specifically promise one.

Why expectations for a new Zelda game should remain measured

The extension into 2027 will understandably lead fans to wonder whether Nintendo is preparing a surprise game reveal. Possibilities people may hope for include an early tease for the next mainline entry, a smaller spin-off, or long-rumored re-releases of older games. But none of those outcomes have been confirmed.

In particular, continued speculation around The Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD should be treated carefully. The enhanced versions of those games have been the subject of persistent discussion for years, but Nintendo has not used this anniversary update to announce their arrival. Their existence as potential Switch or Switch 2 releases remains unverified in this context, and the current statement should not be read as confirmation.

There is also a recent anniversary precedent for tempering expectations. Super Mario Bros.' own 40th anniversary did not become a flood of major Mario announcements. Its game lineup included Yoshi and the Mysterious Book and Mario Tennis Fever, rather than a newly revealed flagship 3D Mario adventure. That does not determine Nintendo's plans for Zelda, but it demonstrates that a major franchise anniversary does not necessarily culminate in the exact type of blockbuster game fans may anticipate.

For Zelda, the most realistic interpretation of the current information is that Nintendo has committed to keeping the franchise visible throughout 2027. The company has identified several channels for that visibility: games, cinema, music, merchandise, and unspecified additional initiatives. The specifics of the latter category remain unknown.

2027 could be Zelda's biggest crossover year

Even without a newly announced mainline game, 2027 has the potential to be a significant year for Zelda. The April film release will be a major test of how Nintendo adapts one of its most beloved worlds for live-action audiences. It will also arrive after Nintendo has spent years expanding its characters beyond games, making the movie an important part of the company's wider entertainment ambitions.

The concert tour, meanwhile, offers a fan-focused complement to the film's mass-market reach. Rather than simply revisiting Zelda through trailers, store displays, or social campaigns, it creates an in-person celebration built around the series' decades of music. Combined with character merchandise and whatever further initiatives Nintendo has yet to reveal, it could make the 40th anniversary feel like a sustained global event.

For players, the immediate certainty is the newly released Ocarina of Time remake and the promise that Zelda will remain a priority across Nintendo's business through next year. The uncertainty is whether that priority will produce another game announcement, and, if it does, what form it might take.

Until Nintendo provides more precise details, fans should view Furukawa's statement as confirmation of an expanded celebration rather than a definitive tease of a new Zelda adventure. There is clearly more Hyrule-related activity ahead in 2027. Whether that includes a fresh game reveal, the return of older favorites, or primarily movie, music, and merchandise initiatives is still for Nintendo to say.