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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time leaker says Xbox is working on a new Ori game, 6 years after its last excellent Metroidvania

Leaker NateTheHate has suggested a new Ori game is in development, with Xbox potentially tapping an unexpected studio for the project. While unconfirmed, the rumour has fueled speculation about a possible announcement at Gamescom.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Aug 23, 2026 Published 2d ago

Rumour: New Ori Game May Be in Development, Leaker Claims

A new entry in the beloved Ori series could be in development, according to prominent leaker NateTheHate, who recently suggested that Xbox is working on a new game in the franchise. The leaker, who accurately predicted the existence of an Ocarina of Time remake for the Switch 2, mentioned the possibility in a series of posts on X and ResetEra.

NateTheHate first hinted at a "neat Xbox announcement" that "should be at Gamescom," as reported by Polygon and GamesRadar+. When pressed for details on ResetEra, he clarified, "A new Ori is what I was referring to. I do not have confirmation whether it will or won't be at Gamescom, yet." He added that he had heard about the potential project from "multiple contacts."

This rumour has been given weight by Windows Central's Jez Corden, who reportedly backed up the speculation on Patreon, mentioning a "pretty big surprise (probably very unexpected sequel) reveal" for Gamescom, while ruling out a Banjo-Kazooie sequel. Corden is quoted as saying it "might be a pretty big surprise," according to Polygon's coverage.

The possibility of a new Ori game has excited fans, who haven't seen a new mainline title in over six years. The previous games, developed by Moon Studios, were critically acclaimed Metroidvanias praised for their emotional storytelling and stunning art direction. While NateTheHate and Corden have not identified a specific developer, ResetEra user Kiri_Kis557 suggested the game might be developed "by one of Saber Interactive's divisions," though this remains unconfirmed.

Moon Studios, the original developer, has moved on to new projects, with its upcoming action RPG No Rest for the Wicked currently in early access on PC and PS5. The game is set to launch fully this October. Some reports have suggested that Moon Studios' relationship with Xbox may have cooled due to allegations of a toxic work environment, which could make it less likely for them to return for a direct sequel.

The Ori series has been a significant success for Xbox, with the first game, Ori and the Blind Forest, selling over 10 million copies. Its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, was also well-received critically and commercially.

So far, neither Xbox nor Moon Studios has made any official announcement regarding a new Ori game. The rumour mill will likely continue to churn until Gamescom Opening Night Live, which is set to take place later this month.

How each outlet told it

GamesRadar+ as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:20 PM UTC

Framing: References the leaker's credibility with the Ocarina of Time leak and frames the news as a rumor; highlights the six-year gap since the last game. — Cautiously optimistic — phrases like 'trying not to raise my hopes too high' and 'seems even more likely' show measured excitement.

Facts Included:

NateTheHate, the leaker who previously leaked an Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2, said a 'new Ori' is in the works.
NateTheHate hinted at Xbox possibly working on a sequel to one of its modern franchises with an unexpected developer.
Moon Studios is currently working on No Rest for the Wicked, leaving early access on PC and PS5 this October.
Reports suggested Moon Studios' 'oppressive workplace' led to its relationship with Xbox fizzling.
NateTheHate is not sure if the project will debut at Gamescom Opening Night Live or later.
NateTheHate accurately leaked a new Star Fox game and an Ocarina of Time remake weeks before official announcements.
Ori and the Blind Forest sold over 10 million copies.

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Polygon as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC

Framing: Emphasizes the beauty of the Ori series and the imminent return, framing it as exciting news; omits the uncertainty and any negative context. — Excited and speculative — phrases like 'spilled the beans' and 'fuel their speculations' convey anticipation.

Facts Included:

Nate the Hate teased on X that there is 'a neat Xbox announcement that should be at Gamescom'.
More information emerged on ResetEra forums suggesting a new Ori game developed by a third-party studio is in the works.
Windows Central's Jez Corden backed up rumors on Patreon, mentioning 'a pretty big surprise (probably very unexpected sequel) reveal' at Gamescom.
Jez Corden said it would not be a Banjo sequel.
Nate the Hate mentioned he heard about the possible sequel from multiple contacts.
Nate the Hate said on ResetEra: 'A new Ori is what I was referring to. I do not have confirmation whether it will or won't be at Gamescom, yet.'
ResetEra user Kiri_Kis557 mentioned hearing of an Ori game developed 'by one of Saber Interactive's divisions' (unconfirmed).
Moon Studios developed Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, which were Xbox-published Metroidvanias.
In a Game Informer interview, Moon Studios said the story of Ori felt complete and it had no more story to tell.
Moon Studios is currently working on No Rest for the Wicked.

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What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimNateTheHate teased on X that there is 'a neat Xbox announcement that should be at Gamescom'.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC
ClaimNateTheHate said on ResetEra that 'A new Ori is what I was referring to. I do not have confirmation whether it will or won't be at Gamescom, yet.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC
ClaimNateTheHate mentioned that he heard about a possible Ori sequel from multiple contacts.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC
ClaimResetEra user Kiri_Kis557 mentioned hearing of an Ori game developed 'by one of Saber Interactive's divisions'.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC
ClaimJez Corden backed up the rumors on Patreon and said that 'there might be a pretty big surprise (probably very unexpected sequel) reveal' at Gamescom.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC
ClaimJez Corden said the surprise would not be a Banjo sequel.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC
ClaimMoon Studios developed Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, which are Xbox-published Metroidvanias.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC
ClaimMoon Studios said in a Game Informer interview that the story of Ori felt complete and they had no more story to tell.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC
ClaimMoon Studios is currently working on No Rest for the Wicked, an ARPG leaving early access on PC and PS5 in October.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via Polygon as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC, GamesRadar+ as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:20 PM UTC
ClaimNateTheHate accurately leaked a new Star Fox game and an Ocarina of Time remake weeks before official announcements.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via GamesRadar+ as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:20 PM UTC
ClaimOri and the Blind Forest sold over 10 million copies.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via GamesRadar+ as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:20 PM UTC
ClaimReports suggested that Moon Studios' 'oppressive workplace' led to its relationship with Xbox fizzling out.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via GamesRadar+ as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:20 PM UTC
ClaimA new game in the Ori series is rumored to be in production at Xbox, according to leaker NateTheHate.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via GamesRadar+ as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:20 PM UTC
ClaimNateTheHate said he is not sure if the new Ori project will debut at next week's Gamescom Opening Night Live show or sometime after.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via GamesRadar+ as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:20 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 2 articles consulted: GamesRadar+, Polygon 14 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-23