Ubisoft Milan developed a prototype for a The Legend of Zelda spinoff starring Ganondorf before Nintendo rejected the project, according to an exclusive report from Insider Gaming. Neither Ubisoft nor Nintendo has publicly confirmed the Zelda connection, and Ubisoft did not provide a comment before the report was published.
Insider Gaming says the project was known internally as Goliath. The idea reportedly emerged after Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope launched in October 2022, with creative director Davide Soliani and a small team preparing a pitch during the following winter.
The concept initially featured a new protagonist created for the spinoff. According to the report, Nintendo liked the broader idea but asked Ubisoft Milan to replace that character with Ganondorf, the long-running antagonist of Link and Zelda.
Nintendo reportedly rejected the Goliath prototype in 2023
Ubisoft Milan reportedly had until around the end of 2023 to produce a prototype capable of passing its next approval stage. Insider Gaming’s sources say Nintendo rejected it in late November 2023, although the reason for that decision remains unknown.
The publication says its account is based on more than 18 months of reporting for a forthcoming book about canceled video games. It also says the Goliath details were independently corroborated before publication. Those claims have not been independently confirmed by Game News Plus.
After the rejection, the Milan team was reportedly divided among other Ubisoft projects, while some developers had no assigned project. Insider Gaming also reports that talks about another Nintendo collaboration deteriorated between late 2023 and early 2024. Possible projects involving Star Fox or another Mario game were discussed only as internal rumors, according to the report.
A separate 2024 interview with Multiplayer.it supports part of that timeline without identifying the mystery project as Zelda. Gian Marco Zanna said Ubisoft Milan had rallied behind an ambitious Soliani-led idea, but a final rejection from an outside partner caused it to collapse. Zanna said the outcome contributed to the decision by several veterans to leave Ubisoft and establish Day 4 Night.
Ubisoft Milan has a long history with Nintendo
Ubisoft’s official studio profile describes Ubisoft Milan’s longstanding relationship with Nintendo, including its work on Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Sparks of Hope. Game News Plus covered the first Sparks of Hope details when Nintendo published them ahead of the game’s formal reveal in 2021.
For now, Goliath should be treated as a reported canceled prototype rather than an announced Zelda game. Insider Gaming remains the only publication to identify the project as a Ganondorf-led spinoff.
Would you have wanted to see Ubisoft Milan’s take on a Ganondorf-led Zelda adventure?
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