Nintendo announced two Directs for next week, one dedicated entirely to Zelda’s 40th anniversary. Meanwhile, Epic Universe has a store full of Zelda imagery and no Zelda land announced.
Nintendo is running two Directs next week.
A general presentation lands Tuesday, Sept. 8. A Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary Direct follows Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Roughly 20 miles from where this article’s Disney readers plan their vacations, Universal has spent more than a year declining to explain why Epic Universe is full of Zelda artwork.
What Nintendo is expected to show
The Zelda Direct has an obvious centerpiece.
The Ocarina of Time remake for Nintendo Switch 2 was announced in June and launches later this year. A 40th anniversary presentation is where a full reveal would land.
Past leaks have also pointed to a special edition Switch 2 planned for release this year, which a Zelda-branded showcase would be a natural venue for.
A live-action Zelda film is also in production, and some fans expect a first teaser.
Nintendo has confirmed none of that. The company announced the two Directs and their dates.
Why people think Zelda is coming to Universal
The Nintendo Super Star Store sits next to the Super Nintendo World portal at Epic Universe. Super Nintendo World itself covers Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country. There is no Zelda land.
The store nonetheless contains:
Stained-glass windows above the entrance depicting Link and Princess Zelda, with additional panels inside featuring Ganon.
Three floor mosaics, one each for Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Country and The Legend of Zelda. The Zelda mosaic depicts Hyrule.
Floor detailing including the Hylian Crest, the Triforce and Sage Medallions.
Wall tapestries carrying 8-bit character designs from the original 1986 game, plus 8-bit sprites on flags.
And Zelda merchandise for sale, for a franchise with no presence in the park.
What Universal actually said
Steve Tatham, Epic Universe’s executive creative director, was asked directly about the Zelda references and expansion speculation by The Direct at the park’s media event.
His answer: “I have no comment about that.”
That is not a denial. It is also not a confirmation, and Universal has announced nothing.
What Universal has confirmed
Universal Orlando Resort president Karen Irwin said the company is already planning the next addition at Epic.
Universal has separately confirmed that Super Nintendo World is expanding across its parks, without specifying which properties.
The rumors
Several theories circulate, and they contradict each other.
One holds that Zelda would expand Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe. Another places it at Islands of Adventure, replacing the Lost Continent area, which has been gradually dismantled over several years.
Pokemon has also been rumored as a Lost Continent replacement as well.
Another rumor suggests the expansion pad between the Wizarding World and Stardust Racers, once slated for Lord of the Rings before that project moved to Universal’s UK plans, would instead go to Wicked.
None of this comes from Universal. It comes from the rumor mill, but Zelda would be a slam dunk for Universal given its popularity.
What Epic Universe actually is
Context for anyone comparing it against Disney’s Florida expansion.
Epic Universe opened May 22, 2025, Universal Orlando’s first new theme park in more than 25 years, with five themed lands.
Super Nintendo World at Epic was announced in February 2023, with Universal Destinations & Experiences CEO Mark Woodbury calling it the worst-kept secret in history.
Comcast told investors in July that Orlando attendance had softened beginning in June and continued into the third quarter, though it credited Epic Universe with a strong guest response.
When to watch the Nintendo Directs
Both stream on Nintendo’s official channels.
The general Direct runs Sept. 8. The Zelda 40th anniversary Direct follows Sept. 9.
Nintendo has not released running times. Its September 2025 Direct ran roughly 60 minutes.
Whether either mentions a theme park is a separate question, and Nintendo has historically left park announcements to Universal.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
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Hat Tips:
Nintendo Life and ComicBook.com (September 2026), the two-Direct announcement, dates and the Zelda 40th framing
The Direct, Steve Tatham’s no-comment response and the full inventory of Zelda imagery inside the Nintendo Super Star Store
Attractions Magazine (March 2025), the stained-glass and mosaic details and Karen Irwin’s comments
Inside the Magic (July 2026), the Super Nintendo World expansion confirmation and the Lost Continent speculation
ParkFans, the Hero parking lot redesign and competing expansion theories, labeled as forum speculation
Wikipedia, the Epic Universe and Super Nintendo World announcement history
Comcast second-quarter earnings (July 23, 2026), the Orlando attendance commentary