The Ocarina of Time remake briefly included additional warp points during development, but Nintendo removed them after testing their effect on exploration. Producer Eiji Aonuma describes the experiment in Nintendo’s November 2 Ask the Developer interview, ahead of the Switch 2 game’s November 5 release.
Why Nintendo took the shortcuts back out
Aonuma says he initially asked the team to add shortcuts that were absent from the Nintendo 64 original. The aim was to make travelling across the world quicker for players accustomed to the many warp points in Breath of the Wild.
In practice, the shortcuts changed what happened between destinations. The team found it was losing the smaller discoveries that came from stopping and investigating something along the way. Aonuma consequently asked for the experimental additions to be removed.
His account concerns those new development experiments. It should not be read as a claim that every existing travel mechanic from the original game has been removed.
What the Switch 2 remake changes
Nintendo’s official game page confirms rebuilt visuals, voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, orchestral music, jumping and dashing, and updated camera controls. Nintendo lists the adventure as a single-player Nintendo Switch 2 game launching November 5, 2026.
The interview also explains a broader purpose for the remake: giving newer Zelda developers an opportunity to study and rebuild the structure of the earlier adventure. The developers were encouraged to decide which elements to update and which to preserve.
Watch Nintendo’s official overview
The overview below provides gameplay background. Nintendo’s newer developer interview supplies the explanation of the warp-point experiment.
Find further release announcements in our Nintendo Switch coverage.
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