Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct Airs Tonight; Is a New Wario Land Rising from the Dead?
BEIJING — Today is a big day for Nintendo fans. The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct goes live tonight at 10:00 PM Beijing time, running approximately 30 minutes. Nintendo's official description promises "a variety of Zelda-related information." Just 24 hours later, a second, standard Nintendo Direct of roughly 45 minutes will follow — back-to-back showcases that have players' expectations sky-high. Speculation about what the Zelda anniversary broadcast will deliver has been rampant: a release date for an Ocarina of Time remake, a second trailer for the live-action Zelda film, a Metroid Dread sequel (rumored for 2027), and even a Switch 2-enhanced version of Breath of the Wild. The timing makes sense — Nintendo's UK store just raised the Switch 2's price by £24, and the new hardware needs marquee software to justify the cost. But the rumor that has set the community ablaze concerns an entirely different franchise: a new Wario Land entry reportedly in development for Switch 2. Leaker Nash Weedle claimed on a podcast that the new game targets a 2027 release window, having originally been planned for 2026 before being delayed — and the big question is whether it will debut at tomorrow's Direct. Why does this IP revival matter? Because the last traditional side-scrolling Wario Land was Wario Land: Shake It! on the Wii in 2008 — 18 years ago. Since then, Wario has appeared only in the party-minigame WarioWare series, while the franchise's signature treasure-hunting platforming lay dormant. For longtime fans, this wait has spanned nearly two decades. As for the anniversary itself, Nintendo has precedent to draw from: the Mario 35th celebration brought a limited-edition console, a game compilation, and concerts. Zelda's fanbase is, if anything, larger — Ocarina of Time still holds its legendary 99 score on Metacritic, and for many players, it was their first encounter with the concept of an "open world." Notably, Nintendo's decision to hold two consecutive Directs signals a push to build momentum for the Switch 2's second-half software lineup. With Gamescom wrapped and E3 a distant memory, the industry's release-calendar rhythm now revolves around Nintendo. Tomorrow's 45-minute presentation is said to include a Treehouse live gameplay segment — and by Nintendo's own habits, Directs featuring hands-on demos usually save something substantial for the finale. Head over to the [Gghubs](https://www.gghubs.com/en) comments and join the discussion.