Nintendo Announces Two Directs for Next Week, Including a Zelda 40th Anniversary Showcase

Nintendo fans are in for a packed week. The company has officially announced two back-to-back Nintendo Direct presentations for September 8 and September 9, with the first dedicated entirely to the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda.

Nintendo confirmed the schedule on Friday, September 4, revealing that The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct will kick things off on Tuesday, September 8, followed by a full Nintendo Direct on Wednesday, September 9.

And with a combined runtime of roughly 75 minutes, Nintendo appears to have plenty to talk about.

The Legend of Zelda Celebrates 40 Years With Its Own Direct

The first presentation will be The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct, airing September 8 at 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. ET.

Nintendo says the presentation will run for approximately 30 minutes and feature “a variety” of information related to the franchise’s 40th anniversary. The company hasn’t provided a detailed rundown of what will appear.

The original The Legend of Zelda debuted for the Famicom Disk System in Japan in 1986, beginning a franchise that has since become one of Nintendo’s defining properties.

Forty years later, Link, Zelda and Hyrule are getting an entire Direct to themselves.

Could Ocarina of Time Be One of the Big Reveals?

While Nintendo is keeping the contents of the anniversary presentation under wraps, there’s one previously announced project that immediately stands out: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo announced during its June 2026 Direct that the Nintendo 64 classic is being “reborn” for Switch 2, with the game scheduled for 2026.

That makes the 40th Anniversary Direct an obvious venue for another look at the project, potentially including a release date or more gameplay.

However, that’s speculation for now. Nintendo has not confirmed that Ocarina of Time will appear during the September 8 broadcast.

There are plenty of other possibilities as well. A 30-minute presentation leaves room for Nintendo to revisit the franchise’s history, announce anniversary merchandise or special releases, discuss existing Zelda titles, or potentially unveil something completely unexpected.

For now, fans will have to wait and see exactly how Nintendo plans to celebrate four decades of Hyrule.

Then Nintendo Is Doing It All Again the Next Day

Nintendo isn’t stopping with Zelda.

Just 24 hours later, the company will host a second, general Nintendo Direct on September 9 at 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. ET.

This presentation will be considerably longer, running for approximately 45 minutes. Nintendo’s UK announcement says the showcase will focus on games coming to Nintendo Switch 2 this winter.

That potentially makes the September 9 presentation the more significant of the two for Nintendo’s broader 2026 lineup.

Nintendo hasn’t revealed the complete roster of games that will appear, so expectations should be kept separate from confirmed announcements. Still, 45 minutes gives the company plenty of room for release-date updates, new trailers and potentially some previously unannounced titles.

Nintendo also confirms that a Nintendo Treehouse: Live presentation will follow the September 9 Direct, featuring gameplay from select titles shown during the broadcast.

Nintendo Direct Schedule

Both presentations can be watched through Nintendo’s official Direct page.

Two Days Nintendo Fans Won’t Want to Miss

A Zelda-specific Direct would already be enough to make September 8 a major date on Nintendo’s calendar. Following it immediately with a 45-minute general Direct makes next week considerably more interesting.

The Zelda presentation carries particular intrigue because of the anniversary. Thirty minutes is a substantial amount of time to dedicate to a single franchise, especially when Nintendo has revealed relatively little about exactly what it intends to show.

Then attention immediately shifts toward Nintendo’s wider Switch 2 plans on September 9.

Whatever Nintendo has planned, September 8 and 9 are shaping up to be two of the biggest Nintendo news days of the fall.

And we’ll be watching closely to see what surprises Hyrule — and Nintendo Switch 2 — have in store.

Share on Facebook

Post on X

Save