Ubisoft Milan reportedly spent much of 2023 developing a previously unknown The Legend of Zelda spinoff before Nintendo rejected its prototype later that year. According to a new report from Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, the project was internally codenamed Goliath and eventually evolved into a game starring Ganondorf rather than Link or Zelda. Ubisoft and Nintendo have not publicly announced the project, so the details remain based on Henderson’s reporting from sources familiar with its development.
The project reportedly emerged after Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope launched in late 2022. Insider Gaming says discussions began between Nintendo and Ubisoft Milan about what the two companies could work on next, with the Italian studio aiming beyond another Mario + Rabbids sequel. Creative director Davide Soliani and a small team then spent the winter developing the concept before preparing a formal pitch in early 2023.
Goliath was reportedly conceived as an original spinoff set within the Zelda universe rather than a direct sequel or prequel to an existing game. Ubisoft Milan’s initial concept featured a completely new protagonist created specifically for the project. Nintendo is said to have liked the broader idea but asked for the unknown character to be replaced with Ganondorf, turning one of the franchise’s most recognizable villains into the playable lead during the concept phase.
Development then moved toward a prototype, with Ubisoft Milan reportedly given until around the end of 2023 to produce something strong enough to pass the next internal greenlight. According to Henderson’s sources, Nintendo rejected that prototype in late November 2023. The report does not establish why the project was turned down, and neither Nintendo nor Ubisoft has provided an official explanation for the decision.
The cancellation appears to have had wider consequences for Ubisoft Milan. Insider Gaming reports that two developers involved in subsequent high-level discussions said another Nintendo project was considered after Goliath ended, while internal rumors pointed to possibilities including Star Fox or another Mario-related game. Those talks reportedly deteriorated between late 2023 and early 2024 without another collaboration materializing.
After Goliath was canceled, members of the Milan team were reassigned across Ubisoft’s portfolio, according to the report. Some developers reportedly moved to projects including Beyond Good & Evil 2, while others were placed on internal availability without an assigned project. Soliani, Cristina Nava and Gian Marco Zanna ultimately left Ubisoft in July 2024, with Soliani publicly confirming at the time that he was departing after 25 years at the company and 11 years working with Nintendo on Mario + Rabbids.
The group later formed Day 4 Night alongside veteran developer Christian Cantamessa. Day 4 Night announced its first game, Bradley the Badger, at The Game Awards in December 2025, with Soliani and several former Ubisoft Milan developers continuing to work together outside Ubisoft. Henderson’s report says Goliath had been a particularly important project for the Milan team and one its developers believed could have elevated the studio within Ubisoft.
The reporting is based on more than 18 months of research Henderson says he conducted for a forthcoming book about canceled games. He states that the Zelda project was independently corroborated well enough to publish separately from the book, while Ubisoft was contacted for comment before publication and did not respond in time. There is currently no indication that Goliath has been revived or transferred elsewhere.
If the report is accurate, Goliath represents an unusually ambitious extension of the Ubisoft-Nintendo relationship. Mario + Rabbids had already demonstrated that Nintendo was willing to let Ubisoft work directly with one of its major franchises, but a Zelda spinoff led by Ganondorf would have moved that partnership into much more closely guarded territory. Instead, the rejected prototype appears to have marked the end of that particular collaboration between Nintendo and Ubisoft Milan.
