Zelda: Ocarina of Time Producer Wants Nintendo’s Next Generation to Move Beyond Breath of the Wild’s Ideas

For 40 years, Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda series has stayed relevant by refusing to stand still. With a new Ocarina of Time remake coming to Switch 2, that tradition looks set to continue. Each generation has brought changes to the series, sometimes transforming its established formula. According to Hidemaro Fujibayashi, that willingness to reinvent is intentional.

Speaking to Polygon, Fujibayashi said Zelda’s creative flexibility gives developers room to explore ideas that feel exciting, rather than confining them to a single approach.

He pointed to several defining shifts in the series: the move from 2D to 3D on Nintendo 64, the motion-controlled swordplay of Skyward Sword on Wii, and the expansive freedom of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. In each case, developers built on ideas they believed had the potential to be fun.

For Fujibayashi, Zelda provides a foundation where those ideas can take shape. That outlook remains important as the series enters a new chapter and established creators work alongside newer developers on the Ocarina of Time remake, including some who were not especially familiar with the original.

Rather than encouraging younger team members to rely on earlier games for inspiration, Fujibayashi said he asks them to consider whether their ideas will be enjoyable. He also encourages discussion about whether a concept has already been explored, so developers do not feel limited to ideas the series has used before.

What comes next for Zelda remains unknown. Fans may expect future games to build on the open-world approach of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but Fujibayashi’s comments leave room for another major change if a new generation of developers finds a different direction compelling.

In Polygon’s full interview, Fujibayashi and Eiji Aonuma also discussed the Ocarina of Time remake’s art style, the enduring appeal of Hyrule Field, and the Zelda games that mean the most to them.