Nintendo confirmed two back-to-back presentations this week: The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on September 8, followed by a general Nintendo Direct on September 9. Both air at 7am PT / 10am ET and stream on Nintendo's official YouTube channel, with a Nintendo Treehouse: Live broadcast following the September 9 show to go hands-on with select announced titles. The announcement came via a post on Nintendo of America's X account, ending months of speculation about whether the Zelda anniversary would get its own dedicated showcase or simply factor into the next Nintendo Direct.
The Zelda-focused Direct runs approximately 30 minutes, covering non-game initiatives tied to the franchise's 40th anniversary and details on Nintendo Switch 2's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Both broadcasts stream on YouTube and through the Nintendo Today! app on a compatible smart device, requiring a Nintendo Account and persistent internet connection, with data charges possibly applying on mobile.
Per IGN's Logan Plant, the Zelda Direct's centerpiece is almost certainly a full trailer and release date for the Ocarina of Time remake, following a brief teaser earlier this year showing only a few seconds of Link's treehouse. Plant's predictions include a November 12 release date, leaked Zelda-themed Nintendo Switch 2 hardware tied to the anniversary, and a first trailer for The Legend of Zelda movie, which hits theaters April 30, 2027, with Shigeru Miyamoto historically appearing in Directs to present such movie news. The September 9 Direct is expected to focus on the rest of Nintendo's 2026 lineup of video games, including Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, a possible The Duskbloods release date, and a first look at Xenoblade Genesis, following the same pattern of major game announcements that introduced Mario Kart World alongside Mario Kart's broader Switch 2 launch lineup earlier this year.
Splitting the Zelda anniversary content from the general lineup gives each its own spotlight rather than competing for time in one broadcast, following the same anniversary treatment Nintendo gave Super Mario Bros. in September 2025, when a single hour-long Direct revealed a Super Mario Galaxy movie sequel, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's release date, and Donkey Kong Bananza DLC.
Nintendo Direct traces back to its first edition on October 21, 2011, launched in Japan and North America before expanding to Europe, Australia, and South Korea, with Nintendo direct broadcasts airing in different languages depending on the region and Nintendo of Europe running its own regional presentations. The format was created by Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's fourth president, who hosted worldwide broadcasts until his death in July 2015. The main Directs went without a single worldwide host until 2017, when Yoshiaki Koizumi of Nintendo's development division, Nintendo EPD, took over, later sharing duties with Shinya Takahashi from 2018. Nintendo has occasionally paused a broadcast for real-world reasons, including a September 2022 Direct that did not air in the UK during a period of national mourning following Queen Elizabeth II's death.
Beyond twice-yearly general Directs, Nintendo airs shorter, game-specific presentations like the Kirby Air Riders Direct, Star Fox Direct, Splatoon Direct, Donkey Kong Bananza Direct, Tomodachi Life Direct, and Super Nintendo World Direct covering Donkey Kong Country, each offering roughly 15 minutes of information on a single title. Older sub-brands included the Wii U Direct and Wii Fit U Direct, alongside recurring formats like Nintendo Direct Mini, the Nindies Showcase, the Indie World Showcase, Nintendo Museum Direct presentations, and Movie Direct broadcasts. Franchise showcases have also covered Fire Emblem through a dedicated Fire Emblem Direct, Super Mario Maker, Animal Crossing's New Horizons Direct, and Hyrule Warriors spinoffs. Unlike the daily streams some companies use to reveal their company's upcoming content piecemeal, Nintendo generally treats these different presentations as its primary and sometimes alternative method of announcing available games, saving smaller Nintendo Switch Online and Nintendo eShop updates for social media rather than a final presentation of their own.
Both presentations stream live on Nintendo's official YouTube channel, with the Zelda Direct airing September 8 and the general Nintendo Direct following September 9, both starting at 7am PT. Nintendo Life and other outlets also host simultaneous watch parties, and the Nintendo Today! app carries both broadcasts for smart-device viewers.
IGN's predictions specifically call for a November 12, 2026 release date alongside the remake's first full trailer. Nintendo has not confirmed a release date as of this writing, and the earlier teaser showed only a few seconds of footage, leaving most details still unknown ahead of the broadcast.
Last year's September 2025 Nintendo Direct ran a full hour, one of the longest Directs in recent years, second only to a February 2021 presentation. This year's format instead splits the celebration and general showcase into two separate broadcasts totaling around 75 minutes combined, rather than one longer presentation.
Ahead of this week's shows, the most recent general Nintendo Direct aired June 9, 2026, featuring reveals and updates including Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2, Splatoon Raiders, and Rhythm Heaven: Groove, with additional hands-on footage of each shown afterward during that day's Nintendo Treehouse: Live broadcast.
Nintendo confirmed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will headline the September 8 Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct, its first dedicated showcase for the remake since June's reveal. The September 9 general Direct is expected to cover winter Switch 2 games, though no highlight list exists yet.
Nintendo hosts an official archive at nintendo.com listing every past Direct broadcast by date, alongside pages for game-specific Directs like the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct or Star Fox Direct. Nintendo Life and Nintendo Everything also maintain recap archives with breakdowns of each show's announcements.
Yes, the Nintendo Today! app sends push notifications for upcoming Direct broadcasts to anyone with a compatible smart device. Following Nintendo's official regional social media accounts, including Nintendo of America's X account, also surfaces announcement posts as soon as a new Direct is confirmed.
Alice Robbins · Editor
Editor
