Zelda Fan Ditches Ocarina of Time Unreal Engine Remake After a Decade of Work
A talented Nintendo fan has ditched their attempt to recreate The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in Unreal Engine after a decade of work, following the announcement of the game's upcoming Switch 2 remake.
YouTuber CryZENx has been working on an unofficial PC version of Nintendo's N64 classic since at least 2016, and been charting the project's progress via dozens of YouTube videos along the way. There's even a playable demo to try, which has somehow avoided Nintendo's legal gaze.
While Nintendo still hasn't intervened to shut down the project — as it has done with other similar attempts in the past — CryZENx has now pre-emptively pulled the plug.
"I'm sorry that I had to disappoint," CryZENx wrote in an update on Patreon about his unfinished work. "It's better to just stop the project for now or I would been dissapeared... because of Nintendo ninjas."
CryZENx believes the added interest in Nintendo's own Switch 2 version of Ocarina would naturally have increased attention on the fan project, potentially prompting Nintendo to threaten removal of all its associated YouTube videos — or even more dire legal implications. The Switch 2 remake's existence also removes reason for the Unreal Engine version to exist, as fans will have a shiny new official version of the game to play.
That said, CryZENx's statement may still attract Nintendo's attention — especially as the YouTuber is now polling fans over which other retro games should be remade in Unreal Engine next, such as Zelda: Twilight Princess, Minish Cap, Donkey Kong 64, and Metroid Prime Hunters.
Like many fan creators, CryZENx does not charge directly for access to the project, but instead runs a Patreon account where money can be pledged to offer general support. For $4 a month, followers get access to Patreon updates, behind-the-scenes content and downloads, with various tier options offered up to a pricey $127 option that offers private Discord calls.
"I would like to tell you that Ocarina of time Project is officially stopped," CryZENx wrote. "What would you want see on YouTube? A very last video of my Project with Full gameplay of Chapter 2/3 for the very last video for the OOT project? Please let me know. Also thanks so much to all the long supporters, you have been supporting me like a decade. I owe you alot... also thanks to all the newcomers that came in since the Nintendo announcement... you are a true hero THANK YOU! Also I hope you wont quit the sub <3."
After a major leak and much fan speculation, Nintendo finally confirmed it was remaking Ocarina of Time during this month's major Nintendo Direct . An initial teaser revealed little, though showed the game's 3D art style and confirmed it will launch sometime later in 2026. However, a now-removed product description has hinted that the game will likely be a faithful remake .
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social