New Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask Glitch Lets Link Blast Through Boulders

Decades after their release, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask are still surrendering new secrets to the speedrunning community. As reported by Kotaku, glitch hunters have discovered a technique that allows Link to instantly shatter boulders using nothing more than a bottle of water or bugs.

How the glitch works

According to the breakdown provided by Zelda Speedruns, the trick involves a precise timing window. Players must attack a boulder and, at the exact moment that animation concludes, trigger Link to dump a bottle of water or bugs. This action overwrites damage flags and forces the game to recategorize the damage source, effectively turning mundane items into powerful explosives. The trick is versatile enough to work with Link’s sword or his slingshot, and even functions while Link is in his Deku Scrub form by using his bubble attack.

Applications beyond boulders

While the ability to clear path obstructions is the most immediate use, the community has found more advanced applications for this exploit. The technique can be used to reach the Goron Racetrack or enter the Milk Ranch in Majora’s Mask without needing powder kegs. Furthermore, it has been used to bypass major boss and area requirements, such as defeating Volvagia without the Megaton Hammer, accessing Ikana’s Castle without the mirror shield, and taking down Ganondorf without the use of light arrows.

Why it matters

This discovery is a major development for the speedrunning community, as it potentially upends established routes for both games. Players looking to try this out themselves can do so on the virtual console ports, including those available on the Nintendo Switch. However, users should note that the glitch does not appear to function in the 3DS reboots of these titles, and it is considered unlikely to appear in the forthcoming Switch 2 remake of Ocarina of Time. It remains to be seen how quickly top-tier speedrunners will incorporate this powerful new exploit into their optimized runs.