Ubisoft Milan's Canceled Ganondorf Zelda Spin-off Goliath

Ubisoft Milan spent 2023 building a prototype for a Legend of Zelda spin-off starring Ganondorf. The project, internally titled Goliath, was pitched to Nintendo but rejected in late November 2023, ending a rare external collaboration attempt.

Creative director Davide Soliani led the pitch. Discussions began after the release of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. The initial concept featured a brand-new character, but Nintendo requested the protagonist be changed to Ganondorf during the early concept phase. This would have been the first time the series' recurring antagonist served as the central, playable character in a new story.

Ubisoft Milan worked through the year to deliver a playable prototype by a late 2023 deadline. The finished build was shown to Nintendo that November. Communication about the project reportedly stopped in early 2024. The pitch did not move forward into full development. Nintendo has not commented publicly on the reported proposal.

From Ubisoft to independence

The rejection of Goliath had direct consequences. Davide Soliani, Cristina Nava, and Gian Marco Zanna left Ubisoft in July 2024. The trio founded a new independent studio called Day 4 Night. The studio's public messaging about its origin now references the canceled Zelda spin-off. Gian Marco Zanna described the studio's founding as aiming for a “new big bang in the video game universe.”

Context of rarity

External collaborations on the Zelda franchise are exceptionally rare. Nintendo historically keeps tight control over which studios access its core franchises. In the series' 40-year history, only a handful of outside developers have contributed.

Pitches from external studios rarely progress past the concept stage. The Goliath project fits this pattern of ambitious but unfulfilled ideas.

Industry echoes

The story unfolded against a backdrop of major industry shifts. Ubisoft posted a roughly €1.5 billion annual loss and scrapped seven games in its most recent reporting cycle. The company also pulled its Ubisoft Connect launcher functionality from Steam. Layoffs across Ubisoft's studios were part of wider 2026 industry job cuts, though Ubisoft Milan itself shipped Rayman Legends Retold that year.

Meanwhile, Nintendo confirmed a Zelda 40th anniversary celebration in its September 2026 Nintendo Direct. Zelda-branded Switch 2 hardware sold out within hours of release. Despite the Goliath rejection, there were follow-up discussions about other unspecified Nintendo IP projects. Those talks reportedly fizzled out entirely. Day 4 Night's first announced game is Bradley the Badger.