The Legend Of Zelda Officially Returns With Unexpected Anniversary Release

It's a truly remarkable time to be a Legend of Zelda fan, with a ton of new projects in the works and multiple new releases planned in the future, and hype for the official 40-year anniversary of the iconic franchise is at an all-time high. After a recent Nintendo announcement seemingly confirmed a heavily rumored Ocarina of Time remake is officially in the works behind the scenes, fans are on high alert for what's to come.

Further, while the live-action Legend of Zelda film that's currently in development from Arad Productions and Sony has many gamers divided, it's exciting new territory for the franchise with massive potential. And with the 40th anniversary in full swing, we're starting to see several new Zelda tributes in the most unexpected and surprising places.

Earlier this week, Bethesda officially unveiled two new Anniversary Edition releases coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 console, with new controversial "code-in-box" physical versions for Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition (via Bethesda).

Though these new Bethesda releases are facing strong criticism from fans,the Skyrim Anniversary Edition in particular will be of interest to Zelda fans, as it includes "iconic in-game gear inspired by The Legend of Zelda," including a Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and the iconic Champion’s Tunic.

This downloadable content is available to anyone who purchases or upgrades to the Skyrim Anniversary Edition for Switch 2, which is listed at the going rate of $59.99 for the full version, or fans who already own the original version on Switch 1 can upgrade for just $19.99. If you already own the Switch 1 Anniversary Edition, it's a free Switch 2 upgrade.

This is one of several surprising new Zelda releases, including a beautiful new Ocarina of Time "The Last Battle" LEGO kit, a massive 8-LP vinyl release of the original Breath of the Wild soundtrack, and more. However, despite these various announcements, fans are starting to grow a bit restless waiting for "the" big announcement from Nintendo, and it's unclear as the year goes on how likely that is to happen.

While many gamers would be happy with Nintendo simply officially confirming the rumored Ocarina of Time remake is real, there's speculation that we could get something even bigger than that with a teaser for the next mainline release in The Legend of Zelda franchise. Though unlikely to be playable anytime soon, the 40th anniversary would be a great opportunity to give fans a glimpse at the next big game in the series.