The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Speedrunners Have Already Found New Ways to Break the Remake

Utsanjan Maity
November 10, 2026

Speedrunners have already found game-breaking glitches and skips in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Nintendo Switch 2, launching Link skyward and completing Any% runs in under four and a half hours. Here is a comprehensive look at the hilarious physics bugs, super bounces, roll-canceling movement tricks, and model-swapping sequence breaks discovered so far.

Ocarina of Time Remake speedrunning glitch sending Link into the air

One of the best things about a brand-new Zelda game is watching just how quickly dedicated players can speed through it. However, Nintendo releasing a full remake presents a uniquely fascinating scenario for the gaming community. The original 1998 classic spent 28 years on the market accumulating some of the most bizarre and iconic speedrunning strategies in gaming history. Now, just days into its release on the Nintendo Switch 2, this rebuilt version is already living up to that chaotic legacy.

Creative players began peeling back the layers of Link and Zelda's revamped adventure mere hours after it launched on November 5. Even in the opening moments of its release cycle, players discovered useful and hilarious ways to break the game engine wide open. With months and years of exploration ahead, early findings indicate that Ocarina of Time remake speedrunning will be just as wild as the original.

Ocarina of Time Remake Speedrunning: Launching Link Into the Sky

The earliest and most popular tactic under active investigation involves sending Link hurdling into the air like a human firework. Veteran players quickly realized that the Switch 2 Zelda remake features some very sensitive physics interactions. When pushed under specific conditions, the game engine launches Link directly toward the clouds at incredible velocities.

Speedrunner Zfg1 was among the first to highlight these bizarre physical properties. As seen in early clips, sticking a safe landing from such immense height opens massive opportunities for players. By flying over invisible barriers and terrain walls, runners can completely bypass major storyline triggers and dungeon requirements.

This launching glitch appears relatively easy to replicate across multiple areas of Hyrule. X/Twitter user @Vespher shared clear video proof of pulling off the identical stunt in the same spot. Other locations across the world map also seem susceptible to Link suddenly losing all gravitational weight when players utilize precise positioning.

Additional research from highlighted clips by other prominent players shows that high-flying launches are not isolated incidents. The community continues to map out every coordinate in Hyrule where geometry collisions trigger these vertical launches.

The Chest Launch Exploit and Vertical Momentum

You might assume Link can only catapult himself skyward in a few extremely specific outdoor environments. However, speedrunners quickly discovered versatile alternatives that work inside dungeons and closed spaces. Another viral glitch taking over the community involves standing directly inside a treasure chest actor model.

By positioning Link atop or inside an open chest structure, a few sudden movement inputs or a well-placed bomb blast instantly breaks collision checks. The game reacts by flinging Link upward until he hits the room ceiling or clips straight through the roof geometry. This setup allows runners to perform sequence breaks like the Nocturne Skip with surprising consistency.

These vertical collision bugs drastically change how routes are planned. Rather than completing lengthy dungeon puzzles or gathering specific quest items, runners can launch straight to boss rooms or exit doors. As more setups are refined, total run times will drop exponentially.

Faster Hyrule Traversal: Sprinting vs Rolling Cancels

Just like with the original N64 title, players have dissected movement mechanics to determine the absolute fastest method of standard ground movement. Historically, walking backward, side-hopping, and continuous rolling were the primary techniques used to navigate Hyrule field quickly. Nintendo attempted to make movement concerns obsolete in the Switch 2 Zelda remake by adding a dedicated sprint button.

Naturally, giving players a built-in sprint button did not stop speedrunners from searching for even faster options. In fact, early testing reveals that rolling has once again defeated basic running as the optimal way to reach Ganondorf in record time. Runners have already pinpointed two distinct movement techniques that move Link faster than normal sprinting:

  • Forward Target-Hop into Roll: Demonstrated by YouTuber KnightPohtaytoe, this technique requires players to lock target forward, perform a jump, and buffer directly into a forward roll. It moves Link marginally faster than holding the sprint button.
  • Attack Roll-Canceling: Shared by Reddit user Pomps8a, this technique is much easier to execute. Players perform a standard roll and immediately cancel the ending animation recovery frames using a quick attack input.
You can roll faster in ocarina by canceling with an attack
by u/Pomps8a in NintendoSwitch2

Mastering these movement optimizations is crucial for high-level Ocarina of Time remake speedrunning categories. Saving even a fraction of a second per roll adds up to significant time gains over the course of a full playthrough.

Item Swapping and Wall Climb Skips

As research continues across the community, players are uncovering ways to climb sheer surfaces without ladders or vines. One major trick that began circulating relies on interrupting weapon animations by swapping items in pause menus or quick-slots.

As highlighted by Japanese creator @k4erup, executing a jump slash with a Deku Stick and instantly swapping to another item mid-animation freezes Link's upward velocity. This momentum freeze lets players latch onto high platforms that are normally completely out of reach. Runners expect this item-swap physics glitch to unlock major skips in early-game dungeons like the Deku Tree and Dodongo's Cavern.

Any% Record Times and Broken Character Models

While official leaderboard rules and speedrunning stats are still coming in, standard casual playthroughs take about 20 hours or so to complete. However, top runners are already cutting that timeline down to a tiny fraction.

Content creator @MrGymnast86 was among the first speedrunners to attempt a full Any% run right out of the gate. He successfully finished the entire game in a little less than four-and-a-half hours. That baseline time will undoubtedly collapse into even shorter records as fresh sequence breaks are integrated into the main route.

Some of the most entertaining glitches occur when runners push sequence breaking to its absolute limits. Players aiming to shave off every possible second have successfully allowed Young Link to perform tasks strictly reserved for Adult Link, and vice versa. Unsurprisingly, the game engine struggles to handle these age-restricted triggers when reached out of order.

As documented by ZFG, using super jumps allows Adult Link to collect the Silver Gauntlets chest, an item normally restricted to Child Link. When the subsequent cutscene plays, the game attempts to force Adult Link's large character model into Child Link's animation skeleton. The result is a hilariously distorted, compressed character mesh.

Runners are actively hunting for inverse setups that bring Child Link into adult-only cutscenes. When that milestone is achieved, fans can expect equally monstrous visual results as Child Link stretches to fit Adult Link's frame.

Essential Guides for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake is available now exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2. Whether you are aiming to break world records or simply complete a normal 100% playthrough, there are plenty of resources available to help you explore every inch of Hyrule.

Be sure to check out our full review of the game here or read up on the Biggest Changes between this remake and the 1998 original. For comprehensive walkthroughs of every dungeon and main questline, visit our complete Ocarina of Time Remake Walkthrough.

If you want to gather important upgrades as early as possible, check out our specialized guides for Early Heart Pieces, Early Gold Skulltulas, and Early Item Bag Expansions. For completionists, we also maintain total locations lists for All Pieces of Heart, All Gold Skulltulas, and All Empty Bottles.

As the community continues to push the boundaries of physics and collision mechanics, Ocarina of Time remake speedrunning will only get faster and more complex. Stay tuned as runners continue to break down Nintendo's latest Switch 2 adventure in record-setting time.



from IGN India
-via DynaSage