Switch 2 Piracy Tool Targets Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake

The developer behind a Switch 2 cartridge dump tool says it can already read and decrypt game cards, but a key question remains about whether a game must be launched first.

Well, that didn't take long. The homebrew scene is already circling the Switch 2, and this time the target is one of Nintendo's biggest upcoming releases.

According to a post from blogger Senhor Linguica Pro, the developer who successfully dumped the Switch 2 version of Deltarune has shared an update on the state of their cartridge extraction tool. When asked about pulling data from the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake, the dev opened up about where the tech currently stands.

The good news for tinkerers? The tool can already read and decrypt Switch 2 game cards. That's a significant step forward for the scene, showing that the console's physical media isn't impenetrable.

But there's a catch. The developer says they still can't confirm one crucial detail: whether you need to launch the game at least once before the system will hand over the necessary decryption key. In other words, the current dumping process may still require a game boot as a prerequisite, meaning it might not be fully independent of actually starting the software.

Looking ahead, the dev hopes future versions of the tool will allow cartridge contents to be extracted without ever launching the game. For now, though, that remains an open question, and the workflow likely still has some strings attached.

This all comes as fans eagerly await The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake, a high-end modern reimagining of the N64 classic, which is slated to hit the Switch 2 on November 5, 2026. With a release date that far out, there's plenty of time for the homebrew community to refine its methods.

Of course, whether Nintendo will have anything to say about all this is another matter entirely. The company has never been shy about protecting its hardware, and you can bet they're watching.

What do you think? Is the homebrew scene moving too fast for Nintendo's liking, or is this just the usual cat-and-mouse game? Let us know in the comments.