Ganondorf Zelda Spin-Off
Nintendo Reportedly Rejected Ubisoft Proposal for a Ganondorf Zelda Spin-Off
Anonymous
Ubisoft Milan reportedly pitched Nintendo a Zelda spin-off, codenamed Goliath, after the success of Mario + Rabbids. The project initially centered on a new character, but Nintendo reportedly suggested making Ganondorf the playable lead, which would have been a first for the series outside of Super Smash Bros. Ubisoft Milan developed a prototype in 2023, but Nintendo rejected it in November for undisclosed reasons. Ubisoft later explored concepts based on other Nintendo properties, including Star Fox and Mario, but discussions reportedly faltered by early 2024. Several developers involved, including Mario + Rabbids director Davide Soliani, left Ubisoft in 2024 and formed independent studio Day 4 Night, which is developing Bradley the Badger; the project’s cancellation may have contributed to the companies’ strained collaboration.
Key Points
1
Former Ubisoft developer Gian Marco Zanna described the ambition behind Goliath as a “new big bang in the video game universe.”
2
The original pitch was reportedly conceived as a spin-off in a new universe, distinct from Link’s adventures in Hyrule, and centered on a character who had never appeared before.
3
Cristina Nava and Gian Marco Zanna were among the Ubisoft developers who left alongside Davide Soliani in July 2024; in an interview, the departing developers said an ambitious project they had worked on was a reason for leaving after it failed to see the light of day.
4
The report noted an earlier canceled Zelda spin-off: Retro Studios’ Sheik-focused Project X, reportedly scrapped during the Wii era.
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