By Dexerto | Created at 2026-06-22 18:46:41 | Updated at 2026-06-22 20:46:35
2 hours ago
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time fan remake creator CryZENx shelved a decade of work after Nintendo finally announced its own version.
Nintendo confirmed the remake at its June 9 Direct, positioning the N64 classic as “reborn for Nintendo Switch 2” with a 2026 release window. For most fans, that was a long-overdue celebration. But for CryZENx, it was a closing bell, as the creator had spent ten years painstakingly reconstructing Hyrule in Unreal Engine 5 from the ground up, and that announcement made the path forward obvious.
CryZENx’s Ocarina of Time Unreal Engine 5 fan remake is done
CryZENx officially announced that development on the fan remake has come to an end, with no further updates or new versions planned. Notably, Nintendo did not issue a cease-and-desist letter; the creator chose to stop on their own terms.
In a Patreon post, CryZENx wrote that they did not want to “step on Nintendo’s way” and explained that the best move was to move forward “because I’m sure Nintendo will do it this time the right way.”
The project had been one of the most technically ambitious fan remakes in recent memory, with updated lighting, new water caustic effects, dynamic character details, and playable builds that let fans explore iconic Zelda locations with modern visuals.
His YouTube channel documented everything: the shimmering waters of Lake Hylia catching late-afternoon light, young Link wading through Zora’s Fountain with the kind of water physics the N64 could only dream of, the Lost Woods rendered in lush volumetric greens with giant fairies drifting lazily overhead.
Kakariko Village got the full treatment too, from the windmill’s crumbling courtyard to the warm glow of a NPC’s fireplace through a cottage window. The Jabu-Jabu’s Belly boss battle, one of the remake’s most recent drops, pitted Link against a fully reimagined Barinade inside a chamber crackling with bioluminescent blue light.
All previous demos remain available for download and CryZENx also plans to release one final Ocarina of Time video featuring full gameplay of Chapter 2/3 as an official send-off.
As for what’s next, CryZENx posted a poll listing potential projects including Donkey Kong 64, Turok, Sonic Adventure 2, and more, with Twilight Princess currently leading the vote at 51%.
It’s a bittersweet ending to one of gaming’s most quietly impressive labors of love. If you want to revisit the full scale of what he built before moving on, our Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake hub has everything on the official version, and our everything announced at Nintendo Direct June 2026 roundup covers the full showcase that made this call inevitable.
