Nintendo confirms development team for Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake

Nintendo has officially confirmed the development team responsible for the upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. According to an "Ask the Developer" article posted by Nintendo, the project is being led by the longtime Zelda studio Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development (EPD) Production Group No. 3.

Development Team Details

Of the six developers interviewed in the article, four are from Production Group No. 3. The remaining two individuals identified are Eiji Aonuma, who is a longtime Zelda producer and the former group manager of Group No. 3, and Hidemaro Fujibayashi, who has directed several Zelda games at the studio.

This announcement follows speculation regarding which studio would handle the remake. While Production Group No. 3 is the primary developer, the full list of studios that contributed to the remake will not be known until the game is released on Nov. 5.

Historical Context and Previous Remakes

There has been prior debate regarding which studios might lead the project. The previous remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the 3DS was not handled by Production Group No. 3, but was instead managed by the Japanese studio Grezzo. That specific team also developed the 3DS version of Majora’s Mask and led development on the 2024 title The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

Another candidate for the lead development role was Monolith Soft, a company owned by Nintendo. Monolith Soft has previously acted as a support studio on titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Monolith Soft is currently working on Xenoblade Genesis, which is scheduled for a 2027 release on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Google Easter Egg

To celebrate the release of the remake on Thursday, November 5, Google has implemented an easter egg for users searching for the title. By typing “zelda” into the Google search bar, the Master Sword will appear at the corner of the screen, hovering above its pedestal in the Temple of Time.

If a user clicks or taps the Master Sword, the sword enters the pedestal, a screen effect occurs to simulate traveling through time, and the interface changes to show how Google appeared in 1998. This 1998 version of the site features simple text results, the old “I’m feeling lucky” option, and no AI assistant. The effect is limited to that specific page of Zelda results.

Why it matters

• The remake is scheduled for release on Nov. 5.
• Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development (EPD) Production Group No. 3 is the lead developer.
• Google has added a time-travel themed easter egg to its search engine to mark the release.

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Sources

• polygon.com: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Studio Officially Revealed
• videogameschronicle.com: Google’s Zelda Ocarina of Time easter egg transports users back to 1998 | VGC

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.