Ocarina of Time Posts the Best UK Launch Ever for a Classic Zelda Game

The Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, released November 5, 2026, posted the UK's second-biggest Zelda launch ever in boxed sales, according to data from Christopher Dring (The Game Business, via Circana/GSD figures). Its first-week sales beat Breath of the Wild's 2017 launch by 35%, making it, in Dring's words, the fastest-selling "old school" Zelda adventure ever tracked in the country.

A record worth qualifying: well behind Tears of the Kingdom, and no global figure

That headline deserves context. The game didn't break an all-formats record, nor even the UK's all-time Zelda record: its launch sales are only about half of what Tears of the Kingdom did in 2023, which remains the benchmark. Nintendo also hasn't published any global sales figure for Ocarina of Time so far; the available data is limited to the UK market.

An eShop chart-topper with near-unanimous reviews

The game also sits at No. 1 on the Switch 2 eShop best-seller chart, and holds a 96 Metascore on Metacritic, the highest of any 2026 release, backing up this strong UK commercial debut with near-unanimous critical praise.

Key takeaways

• UK's second-biggest Zelda launch ever, 35% ahead of Breath of the Wild (2017).
• Sold roughly half as fast as Tears of the Kingdom (2023) over the same window.
• No global sales figure released by Nintendo so far.
• No. 1 on the Switch 2 eShop best-seller chart.
• 96 Metascore, the highest of any game released in 2026.

Sources

• Notebookcheck (data via Christopher Dring / The Game Business): "Zelda Ocarina of Time launch beats Breath of the Wild, topping 2026 UK physical sales"
• Digital Citizen: "Ocarina of Time Remake Has the UK's Second-Biggest Zelda Launch, 35% Ahead of Breath of the Wild"