Ubisoft Was Making a 'Zelda' Spin-off Game About Ganondorf, But Nintendo Rejected It
Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series has many games that have been released over the years, including multiple spin-off titles from the mainline series. At one point, another spin-off title that focused on the iconic villain Ganondorf was being worked on by developer Ubisoft. However, the project was cancelled after Nintendo rejected the concept.
In a report from Insider Gaming , the team at Ubisoft Milan pitched a spin-off The Legend of Zelda game to Nintendo in early 2023. This was after the company successfully releasing Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope for the Nintendo Switch in 2022. The project was given the codename "Goliath" and originally did not have Ganondorf as the main character of the game.
That idea was suggested by Nintendo themselves after being shown the concept from Ubisoft Milan. With their approval, the company began working on a prototype for the game, utilizing a small team that was led by Davide Soliani, who previously worked on Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope .
In an interview with Multiplayer.it in 2024, long-time Ubisoft veteran Gian Marco Zanna spoke about "Goliath" and how ambitious Davide was with it. "Davide didn't want to aim for the sun; he wanted to aim for the entire universe; he wanted to create a new big bang in the video game universe."
The Aftermath of Goliath
However, after a prototype was completed and shown to Nintendo, the company reportedly rejected what was shown. The exact reasons why Nintendo decided not to move forward with The Legend of Zelda project are still unknown, and neither Ubisoft nor Nintendo have commented about it.
After the cancellation, the Ubisoft Milan team was split up. Different personnel were assigned to other projects, including the on-going development of Ubisoft's long awaited sequel, Beyond Good & Evil 2 . While conversations about Ubisoft continued with Nintendo about making other games using Nintendo franchises, they reportedly softened and broke down in 2024.
Both Davide Soliani and Gian Marco Zanna would eventually leave Ubisoft in July 2024 and go on to form the studio Day 4 Night in late 2024.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Sep 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
