CryZENx, a fan developer and YouTuber, has officially halted his Unreal Engine remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, ending a project that began in 2016 and spanned nearly 10 years [1, 2, 3]. The cancellation came shortly after Nintendo revealed its own upcoming remake of the game for the Switch 2 console, set to release later in 2026 [1, 2, 3].
Since 2016, CryZENx had regularly shared progress updates and playable demos, supported by a Patreon with tiers starting at $4 and going up to $127 per month [1, 2, 3]. The developer released a new playable demo as recently as May 2026 before deciding to stop the project in early June 2026, announcing the news on Patreon [1].
In announcing the cancellation, CryZENx cited the official remake announcement as removing the purpose of his fan project. He also expressed concerns about possible legal action from Nintendo. "I would like to tell you that [the] Ocarina of Time Project is officially stopped," he said [1]. He added, "It's better to just stop the project for now or I would been dissapeared because of Nintendo ninjas" [2]. Recognizing Nintendo’s official remake, CryZENx commented, "I'm actually very confident that their remake looks 200% better than mine, I'm very impressed for their realistic artstyle I think we the community won!!!" [1]. He also affirmed respect for Nintendo’s approach, saying, "I dont really want to step nintendo on their way. The best move would be now to move forward [from] the project because im sure nintendo will do it this time the right way." [3].
CryZENx thanked longtime and newer supporters, especially those who joined after Nintendo's announcement, for nearly a decade of backing [2]. He plans to poll fans on which retro game to potentially remake next, with options including Zelda: Twilight Princess, Minish Cap, Donkey Kong 64, and Metroid Prime Hunters [2, 3].
