Nintendo reportedly turned down a Zelda spin-off from Ubisoft Milan that would have put Ganondorf in the lead role. The project was known internally as Goliath, but Nintendo and Ubisoft have not announced it, shown footage, or explained why the prototype was rejected.
The report describes a real pitch process rather than a finished game. Ubisoft Milan is the team behind Mario + Rabbids, so the idea came from a studio with years of experience working with Nintendo characters.
What was Goliath?
Ubisoft Milan reportedly started exploring the project after Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope launched in late 2022. The earliest concept used a new protagonist. Nintendo liked the broad idea but asked the team to rebuild it around Ganondorf, Zelda’s most famous villain.
Davide Soliani led a small group that prepared a prototype during 2023. Nintendo reportedly reviewed that prototype near the end of November and decided not to move ahead. No screenshots, story details, combat footage, platforms, or release window have surfaced.
Why was Ganondorf such a surprising choice?
Ganondorf usually drives Zelda stories as the threat Link and Zelda must stop. He has been playable in crossover games, including Hyrule Warriors and Super Smash Bros., but Nintendo has never released a main adventure built around him.
The report does not say whether Goliath would have made him a hero, an antihero, or the same ruler seen from another side. It also gives no clue about Hyrule, the timeline, or whether Link and Zelda were part of the story. Any detailed plot circulating online is speculation.
Why did Nintendo reject the prototype?
The reason is unknown. Nintendo reportedly declined the prototype in November 2023, and later talks about using another Nintendo property did not produce a new project. Ubisoft says it does not comment on rumor or speculation. Nintendo has not responded publicly.
That leaves the most interesting part unanswered: Nintendo apparently asked for Ganondorf, then passed on the result. Without the prototype or comments from the people who reviewed it, blaming the lead character, gameplay, budget, or quality would be guesswork.
What happened to the Ubisoft Milan team?
The Goliath group was reportedly split up after the rejection. Soliani, producer Cristina Nava, and lead designer Gian Marco Zanna left Ubisoft in July 2024 and later formed Day 4 Night.
The canceled pitch does not change Nintendo’s current Zelda plans. The company is still expanding the series through its 40th-anniversary releases and projects. Goliath is a look at the Zelda game fans almost received: a Ganondorf-led experiment from the studio that made Mario + Rabbids.
