Hookshot
Hookshot is the viral Zelda project that runs the Switch 2 remake of Ocarina of Time natively on PC — a static recompilation to Windows and Linux with no emulator. It passed 8,500 GitHub stars in about a week before Nintendo issued a DMCA takedown on November 13.
Quick version: Hookshot = the Zelda: Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake compiled to run natively on PC. Its GitHub repo (NotRexed/Hookshot) and the developer's whole GitHub account were removed by a Nintendo DMCA on November 13, 2026. The developer said on Discord the project will resurface at a different web location soon.
What Hookshot actually is
- 1A static recompilation, not an emulator
Hookshot lifts the Switch 2 game's AArch64 code to C and compiles it into a native Windows or Linux program — the console's Horizon OS and NVN2 graphics API are reimplemented natively, with GPU work replayed on Vulkan.
- 2It ships no game files
The repo never contained the game, keys or an executable. A builder creates hookshot.exe on your own PC from your own copy of the game — program 0400486024DEC000, update v131072.
- 3A fork of mkw-recomp
The project descends from the Mario Kart World static recompilation and inherits its fixes — same toolchain family, adapted for the OoT remake.
- 4GPL v3, community-driven
Created November 5, 2026 by developer NotRexed, it hit roughly 8,544 stars and 783 forks inside eight days before removal — making it one of the week's biggest open-source game stories.
The timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Nov 5, 2026 | NotRexed publishes the Hookshot repo — a native recompilation of the Switch 2 OoT remake for Windows and Linux |
| Nov 5-13 | Goes viral: thousands of stars a day, coverage across gaming press, "plays the remake at 60fps" clips everywhere |
| Nov 13, 2026 | Nintendo DMCA hits GitHub — the Hookshot repo and the developer's entire GitHub account are taken down |
| After | Developer says on Discord the problem can't be resolved on GitHub soon, but the repository should return at a different web location |
What you needed to run it
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Your own game copy | The Switch 2 OoT remake, program 0400486024DEC000, update v131072 (build e0f3ccfa) — a .nup file or romfs/exefs folders. Other versions don't work |
| OS | 64-bit Windows 10/11, or Linux with glibc 2.35+ (Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Fedora, Arch, SteamOS) |
| CPU | AVX2 required for the Linux AppImage; Windows and source builds adapt to weaker CPUs |
| GPU work | Switch 2 NVN2 graphics replayed through Vulkan |
FAQ
Is there a Hookshot Zelda GitHub link that still works?
The original repo at github.com/NotRexed/Hookshot was removed in the November 13 DMCA, along with the developer's account. The dev says it will return at a different host — until then, any live copy is an unofficial mirror.
Was the "Hookshot" file a virus?
The README addressed reports calling the release a Trojan and said it was not — but only trust builds from the project's official location, not random re-uploads.
Can you play Ocarina of Time on PC legally?
The remake is a Switch 2 exclusive; Nintendo's takedown shows how it views PC ports of it. The older decomp-based OoT PC port (Ship of Harkinian) still exists for the N64 version and follows the same bring-your-own-ROM model.
What does "static recompilation" mean?
Instead of emulating the console at runtime, the game's machine code is translated to C once and compiled into a native PC program — that's why it runs the remake at full speed.