Report: Nintendo Rejected Ubisoft's Ganondorf-Led Zelda Spin-Off
Insider Gaming reports that Ubisoft Milan pitched a Legend of Zelda spin-off in 2023, with Nintendo suggesting Ganondorf as the lead character. After a prototype was shown in November 2023, Nintendo rejected it for unclear reasons, leading to the project's cancellation. Key Ubisoft developers later left the company, and Ubisoft declined to comment on the report.
The rejected pitch followed Ubisoft Milan's work on Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, and the proposed project carried the internal codename Goliath. Nintendo's suggestion to shift the lead from an original character to Ganondorf represented a notable creative pivot, though the prototype shown in late 2023 failed to secure approval. The cancellation had ripple effects: several senior developers, including Soliani, Nava, and Zanna, departed Ubisoft in July 2024 and later formed the studio Day 4 Night, now developing the platformer Bradley the Badger. The report also indicates the failed pitch may have strained the broader Nintendo-Ubisoft relationship, with communication reportedly tapering off by early 2024 after subsequent pitches involving other Nintendo properties did not advance.
This report could signal a cooling of the long-standing Nintendo-Ubisoft partnership, which previously produced successful collaborations like Mario + Rabbids. If accurate, it may reflect Nintendo's cautious approach to licensing its most cherished franchises, particularly Zelda, to third-party studios. For players, the cancellation means a potentially distinctive Ganondorf-led experience will not materialize, though the departing developers' new studio could channel their ambitions into original projects. The episode may also influence how other studios approach pitching Nintendo, knowing that even well-received partners face high creative and quality thresholds.