Ubisoft Milan, the studio behind Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and its sequel, pitched a Legend of Zelda spin-off featuring a playable Ganondorf, according to a report from Insider Gaming. The project, codenamed Goliath, would have marked the villain's first solo outing in the series.
The Legend of Zelda series has seen several spin-offs over the years, including hack 'n' slashers like Hyrule Warriors and the rhythm action crossover Cadence of Hyrule, as well as Princess Zelda's spotlight in Echoes of Wisdom. While these titles have largely paled in comparison to the mainline games, some represent rare occasions where developers outside Nintendo have been allowed to work on the franchise. The Hyrule Warriors games were developed by Koei Tecmo, while Cadence of Hyrule was created by indie studio Brace Yourself Games.
Ganondorf's Abandoned Prototype
According to the report, Goliath was originally going to star a 'new, never-before-seen protagonist', but this later changed to Ganondorf during the concept phase. Ubisoft Milan built a prototype for the project in late 2023, a year after the release of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. However, Nintendo rejected the proposal in November 2023, though the reasons remain unclear.
The report also claims that Ubisoft Milan was in discussions to work on another Nintendo IP, supposedly either Star Fox or another game in the Mario universe. However, these conversations between Nintendo and Ubisoft 'began to break down' by early 2024.
Future Collaborations Unlikely
It now appears unlikely that Nintendo and Ubisoft will collaborate again, as many developers at Ubisoft Milan, including Mario + Rabbids director Davide Soliani, left in 2024. Soliani and other former Ubisoft Milan developers have since formed a new studio called Day 4 Night, where they are working on the recently revealed Bradley The Badger.
While no details have emerged on how Goliath would have played, it is perhaps surprising that a spin-off dedicated to Ganondorf has not been made already. The character has been a mainstay of the Super Smash Bros. series since Melee and was playable in the original Hyrule Warriors.
For fans of the Demon King, Ganondorf is set to appear in a revamped form in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2, which launches on November 5, 2026.
