Nintendo Reportedly Rejected A Ubisoft Zelda Spin-Off Starring Ganondorf

What if?

by · Nintendo Life
Image: Nintendo

A new "exclusive" report from Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson has supposedly lifted the lid on a Ubisoft Zelda project that never saw the light of day.

The story, which is based on "reporting conducted over more than 18 months" and has been "independently corroborated", claims Ubisoft Milan (the Mario + Rabbids studio) pitched a Zelda spin-off featuring a previously unknown protagonist. Nintendo apparently liked the concept but told Ubisoft to replace the character with Ganondorf.

The project was known as "Goliath" (reflecting the scale of the idea), and the concept came about in "late 2022" after the release of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. The creative Davide Solani was leading the project, and the plan was to go beyond a "third Mario + Rabbids game" and "create a new big bang in the video game system" as part of the studio's next collaboration with Nintendo.

It's claimed Solani and a small team worked "tirelessly on the new idea throughout the winter" and by early 2023, the "perfect pitch" was complete. The group was given "until around the end of 2023 to deliver a compelling prototype", but in "late November" of the same year, Nintendo rejected it, and the project was shut down. The reasons for Nintendo's final decision "remain unclear".

Two developers "privy to high-level talks" suggest a proposal emerged after this for the Milan studio to work on "different Nintendo IP", with internal rumours at the studio name-dropping Star Fox or another game set in the Mario universe. However, around "late 2023 and early 2024", communication between Nintendo and Ubisoft began to "break down".

The team was then split and spread across different Ubisoft projects, and Soliani & other key members departed Ubisoft Milan in July 2024. As you might already know, this is not the first time we've heard about cancelled Zelda projects. Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios also had plans for a few titles.

Related Articles

News Metroid Prime Dev Retro Studios Pitched A Zelda Game Called 'Heroes Of Hyrule'

Another "spin-off" like Project X

News Mario + Rabbids Director Davide Soliani Leaves Ubisoft After 25 Years

"Thanks a lot for everything, truly"

News Retro's Mysterious Zelda Spin-Off 'Project X' Apparently Had A Playable Prototype

Described as a "simplified" version of Whack-A-Mole

[source insider-gaming.com]

Related Games
   •  Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Switch)
See Also
   •  Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Switch) Review
   •  The Best Nintendo Switch Games (2026)

About Liam Doolan

Liam is a news writer and reviewer on Nintendo Life. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of many iconic video game characters.

Comments 7

If it was basically "Assassin's Creed: Gerudo Chronicles", that's probably a good thing...

What a shame that would have been cool

The Prince of Gerudo: The prequel to Ocarina of Time!

I think it has a possibility of being worth pursuing, but I think it would be difficult to make Ganondorf a main protagonist when we have a huge history of him being a jerk. I don’t know how a developer could make him be a character people feel compelled to play — mechanically, narratively, and motivationally.

I'm just spitballing here but maybe nintendo saw signs that ubisoft was using nintendo for their own benefit rather than showing interest in a partnership. Or nintendo just rejects it because they are picky. who knows.

I think it would be awesome to play a game as Ganondorf. Im not 100% caught up on Zelda lore but maybe the story could have taken place before Ganon was consumed with evil. Perhaps the three triforce wielders set out to destroy some calamity but ganon sacrificed himself to save zelda and link.

@Kraven
Your post reminded me of Stranger of Paradise, a final fantasy game where you play as a grumpy man who definitely does not feel like a fantasy protagonist character.

Show Comments

Leave A Comment

Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...