Ocarina of Time Remake Developed Internally by Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 3

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of Nintendo’s most influential franchises, first released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. The title has been revisited several times, most notably as Ocarina of Time 3D and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D—both remakes that appeared on Nintendo 3DS in 2011 and 2015, respectively, and were developed by external studio Grezzo. Those 3DS projects established Grezzo as the go-to partner for handheld Zelda remasters, even as Nintendo maintained overall franchise stewardship. That external relationship has changed for the latest remake. According to Nintendo of America’s official materials, development on the current home-console remake of Ocarina of Time is being handled internally by Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development (EPD), specifically Production Group No. 3. Nintendo EPD is the company’s in-house development division, formed in 2015 following a reorganization of Nintendo’s internal studios. The move to an internal production group marks a clear shift from the 3DS-era outsourcing model. Fans will recognize the names involved. Grezzo’s work on the 3DS remasters put the studio in the spotlight for handling classic Zelda conversions, but Nintendo’s internal team now has the lead on this larger, console-targeted rebuild. In journalistic terms: fans are well acquainted with Grezzo’s 3DS remakes, but Nintendo has confirmed this new, more ambitious remake is a homegrown project under Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 3. Longtime Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has been associated with the series for decades and continues to play a prominent role in Nintendo’s Zelda strategy. The transition to EPD’s Production Group No. 3 underscores Nintendo’s use of experienced internal teams for major franchise work. For readers tracking platform availability, Nintendo has historically announced major Zelda projects during events such as Nintendo Direct presentations and distributed digital titles via the eShop and retail channels; the company’s choice to assign this remake to an internal production group reflects a prioritization of in-house resources for flagship releases. This development decision is an important data point for industry observers: after outsourced success on the 3DS, Nintendo has opted to place its legacy, home-console Ocarina of Time remake in the hands of its internal EPD structure. Source: Nintendo of America website.