Wario May Crash Today's Nintendo Direct

For weeks, the conversation around today's Nintendo Direct has centered on one thing: a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Industry insider Nate the Hate claimed months ago that it's targeting a holiday 2026 release, and the entire showcase calendar has been building toward this as the capstone reveal. But in the last 48 hours, a different character has muscled his way into the spotlight, and he's not exactly known for sharing it gracefully.

On June 7, leaker noarmsandnolegs posted a gif of Wario and Link on X (formerly Twitter), then followed up with a blunt statement: "A new Wario game is coming. Wahahaha." They couldn't confirm whether it's a new Wario Land entry or a WarioWare title, but pointed to what they called an uptick in Wario appearances lately, including Wario World arriving on Nintendo Switch Online and a Wario Land track showing up in Mario Kart World. This is the same leaker who accurately called both the Rayman Legends Retold and Spyro: A Realm Beyond announcements before they were officially revealed at Summer Game Fest, so the track record is real.

Zelda's Show to Lose

Here's what makes this interesting. Ocarina of Time is one of the most beloved games ever made, and its remake should be an easy headline-grabber. But a new Wario game, especially a Wario Land revival, would be unexpected a long-rumored Zelda remake simply isn't. I've been following the OoT leak cycle for months now, and while I'm excited to see it confirmed, the surprise factor is gone. A Wario Land announcement, on the other hand, would come out of nowhere for most people, and that kind of shock value tends to dominate the post-show conversation.

The Direct airs today at 3pm UK time / 10am ET, running roughly 50 minutes with a 95-minute Nintendo Treehouse: Live session immediately after. Nintendo confirmed the schedule through the Nintendo Today app, and it'll stream on YouTube. Beyond Zelda and a potential Wario reveal, there's still no confirmed release date for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, and games like Splatoon Raiders, the Star Fox remake, and Pokémon Wind and Waves could all get new footage.

The last WarioWare title, WarioWare: Move It!, launched in 2023, so a follow-up wouldn't be shocking from a timeline perspective. But a new Wario Land would be a different story entirely. That series hasn't had a proper new entry since Wario Land: Shake It! on the Wii in 2008. If Nintendo is actually reviving the platformer side of Wario's catalogue, that's the kind of announcement that could overshadow a Zelda remake, and I never thought I'd write that sentence.

With PlayStation, Xbox, and Summer Game Fest all wrapped up, Nintendo has the closing slot of showcase season. The Switch 2 needs a strong software lineup to justify its £395.99 price tag, and a mix of nostalgic remakes and surprise revivals is exactly how you build that. If both Ocarina of Time and a new Wario game show up today, Nintendo will have pulled off something none of the other showcases managed this year: two genuine conversation-starters in a single presentation.