Nintendo has released the first official artwork of the redesigned world map for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Switch 2 – and Hyrule looks like a lovingly drawn treasure map.
The new imagery shows the complete game world from a bird's-eye perspective: Hyrule Field in the center, surrounded by Kokiri Forest, Zora River, Death Mountain in the northeast, and the desert to the west. Compared to the minimalist map screen of the 1998 original, the new version appears significantly more detailed and almost like a hand-drawn fantasy map, familiar from modern open-world titles. The remake is already listed as an upcoming highlight on the official Nintendo Switch 2 website.
When will Zelda: Ocarina of Time be released for Switch 2?
According to Nintendo, the remake is scheduled for release in November 2026. A specific date is yet to be announced, but with the release of the world map, Nintendo provides another piece in the marketing roadmap for the launch. The map is likely not just decorative but can also be interpreted as an indication of how extensively the team has technically and visually overhauled the game world, without completely altering the original 1998 layout.
What does the new world map reveal about the remake?
A closer look at the artwork reveals all the familiar areas from the original – from Kakariko Village to Death Mountain and the Water Temple on Lake Hylia. This suggests that Nintendo is retaining the geographical structure of Hyrule and focusing primarily on graphics, lighting, and gameplay feel, similar to what has been done with other Nintendo remakes. For fans who played the original on the N64 in the late nineties, the mere sight of the familiar landmarks in a new guise is likely to evoke a sense of nostalgia.
Historically, the world map of Ocarina of Time in 1998 was a small marvel in itself: it made Hyrule experienceable as a cohesive 3D world for the first time, shaping the design of entire generations of open-world games, right up to Breath of the Wild. The fact that Nintendo chose precisely this element as the first official imagery for the Switch 2 remake is therefore more than mere symbolism – it signals how central the exploration of the game world remains for the remake. Those interested in the curious hardware aspect of the new edition can find our report on the Electric Ocarina special console.
Other specialized media outlets like GoNintendo have also picked up on the new map material, confirming Nintendo Life's classification of it as an official release directly from Nintendo, not a leak or fan speculation. The artwork is now also circulating on social media:
Source: Nintendo Life
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