It’s hard to believe that 40 years have passed since The Legend of Zelda first launched back in 1986, and fans of the iconic game had their hopes up for some sort of massive announcement from Nintendo. Unfortunately, many players have been left devastated after the official anniversary date came and went.
The Legend of Zelda fans had their calendars marked for the official 40th anniversary that passed over the weekend on February 21, 2026, but apparently Nintendo didn’t have anything major planned. The anniversary has now passed with zero announcements or even the slightest acknowledgment from Nintendo, leaving players completely devastated (via Reddit).
Zelda Fans Aren’t Happy With How Nintendo Handled The 40th Anniversary
Zelda fans on Reddit didn’t have massive expectations from Nintendo for the 40th anniversary of the game, but were disappointed nonetheless. As MichelleSchfer puts it, “the bar’s underground and still somehow gets tripped over.” Nintendo offered players absolutely nothing to celebrate Zelda and its massive impact on gaming since its release in the late 80s.
Rumors have been circulating over what Nintendo might have had in store to celebrate the 40-year milestone for Zelda, and at minimum, players expected them to make some sort of statement about the anniversary, acknowledging the game’s enormous influence on video game culture and development over its lifetime.
Fans were somewhat hopeful for a possible teaser and/or first look at the next mainline game in the series, but would have settled for a simple social media post from Nintendo marking the occasion and thanking fans for their years of dedication to the franchise.
Does This Mean Nintendo Has Zero Plans For Zelda’s 40th?
Despite it seeming like Nintendo just forgot about Zelda’s 40th birthday, as many players such as andreaslackner have noted, “They never ignore it, they always acknowledge it, but in the summer, not on the actual date.”
In other words, for fans who had their hopes up and feel completely put off by Nintendo’s lack of an announcement on Zelda’s 40th, there’s still a high likelihood a statement and/or big announcement will be made later in the year to celebrate the occasion.
It’s highly unlikely Nintendo would let Zelda’s 40-year anniversary pass without any plans to celebrate, especially considering the long history of The Legend of Zelda re-releases and launches associated with these dates. Fans have every reason to get hyped for an official Nintendo announcement about The Legend of Zelda‘s 40th anniversary later in 2026.
The Legend of Zelda
- Released
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February 21, 1986
- ESRB
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E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo EAD
- Engine
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Havok
