Ubisoft Milan spent much of 2023 developing a prototype for a Zelda spinoff that would have put Ganondorf in the lead, according to reporting by Insider Gaming. Nintendo reportedly rejected the prototype in late November that year, ending a project known internally as Goliath before it was publicly announced.
The reason for the rejection remains unclear. Insider Gaming says its account is based on sources familiar with the project and reporting conducted over more than 18 months. Ubisoft did not comment before the article was published, and neither Ubisoft nor Nintendo has publicly confirmed the project.
From a new hero to Ganondorf
The report traces Goliath to discussions that followed the late-2022 release of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Ubisoft Milan and Nintendo began talking about another collaboration, but the studio wanted to go beyond a third Mario + Rabbids game.
Davide Soliani and a small team prepared a pitch in early 2023 for an original spinoff set in the Zelda universe. The concept initially featured a new playable protagonist. Insider Gaming reports that Nintendo liked the broader idea but asked Ubisoft to replace that character with Ganondorf, the recurring antagonist usually positioned against Link and Zelda.
Ubisoft Milan was reportedly given until roughly the end of 2023 to produce a prototype strong enough to clear its next greenlight. Nintendo rejected it in late November, according to the report. No public footage or gameplay details from Goliath accompanied the story, leaving the concept's design beyond its playable character unknown.
Other Nintendo talks did not produce a replacement
After Goliath was canceled, two developers familiar with higher-level discussions told Insider Gaming that Ubisoft Milan considered moving to a different Nintendo property. Star Fox and another Mario-universe game circulated as internal possibilities, but those were studio rumors rather than confirmed pitches. Talks between Nintendo and Ubisoft reportedly broke down between late 2023 and early 2024.
The report says the Milan team was then divided among other Ubisoft projects. Some developers were placed on “availability,” meaning they had no assigned project, while some senior staff were moved to Beyond Good & Evil 2.
Soliani, Cristina Nava and Gian Marco Zanna left Ubisoft in July 2024 and formed Day 4 Night with veteran developer Christian Cantamessa. The new studio later revealed its first game, Bradley the Badger, in December 2025. Goliath's reported fate gives new context to those departures, but it does not establish why Nintendo declined the prototype or whether the companies could work together again.
