Speedrunners Are Already Exploiting the Ocarina of Time Remake

The long-awaited remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has officially launched, and while casual players are adjusting to the updated fidelity and new quality-of-life additions, the speedrunning community has already turned the game into a playground for game-breaking discoveries. As reported by Kotaku, runners are systematically stress-testing the title’s code to shave hours off potential completion times.

New Tech and Gravity-Defying Glitches

One of the most significant changes affecting speedrunners is the addition of a dedicated jump button. Unlike the original 1998 release, this mechanic has opened up new vertical traversal options that runners are currently investigating for shortcuts. Early exploits include using open chests to launch Link across the map, with some runners finding that dropping bombs into these chests can intensify the effect. Additionally, flipping through inventory menus while in midair has been discovered to cause Link to float, a mechanic that one user, ORCinfo, noted could lead to endless jumping and potentially break the game’s movement constraints.

Sequence Breaking and Visual Horrors

Beyond simple movement glitches, the community is hunting for sequence breaks that allow players to bypass major items, temples, or plot points. Runners like Zfg1 have been documenting the unintended side effects of manipulating the game’s time-travel mechanics. By triggering cutscenes intended for adult Link while playing as child Link, the game’s engine appears to struggle, occasionally resulting in distorted character models. While these visual bugs are humorous, they also hint at deeper issues with how the remake manages object states and transitions between the two time periods, which could eventually be leveraged for major skips.

Why it matters

For the average player, these discoveries serve as a look into how developers balance new features against the potential for bugs. While these exploits might seem like mere party tricks currently, they represent the early stages of route optimization that will define the game’s speedrun scene for years to come. Players should be aware that, as is common with remakes of complex titles, the game’s updated physics are susceptible to “stress testing” that can force the engine into unexpected states.

Whether these glitches will result in legitimate run-altering shortcuts or stay as niche curiosities remains to be seen. As the scene continues to move fast, players interested in the competitive side of the game can expect a rapid influx of new techniques, potentially changing how the classic story is navigated from start to finish.