Ubisoft’s Mario + Rabbids team reportedly came close to making an “ambitious” Zelda game starring Ganondorf, but it wasn’t to be. The project, codenamed Project Goliath, was pitched as a spin-off starring a brand-new protagonist — until Nintendo asked for something more specific.
The Pitch From 2022
Insider Gaming says Ubisoft Milan started working on the pitch in 2022, shortly after the launch of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. The sequel was a modest success, but Nintendo and Ubisoft Milan began discussing another potential collaboration soon after.
Ubisoft Milan spent the winter working on “what they deemed the perfect pitch” for Project Goliath, a new Legend of Zelda spin-off. Davide Soliani, who co-created Mario + Rabbids, had much bigger plans this time around, according to “sources familiar with the discussions”.
Nintendo’s Request
The team had a promising idea on their hands, and Nintendo responded positively to it. The problem was that the company wanted one of the game’s own characters replaced with Link’s archenemy, Ganondorf. Development carried on anyway, only for Nintendo to reportedly reject Project Goliath in November 2023. That decision made the project into a game that could have been.
The reasons behind the decision “remain unclear”.
What Happened After
Another project tied to a Nintendo IP was reportedly brought up, with rumours pointing to a fresh Star Fox game or a new Mario spin-off. Conversations between Nintendo and Ubisoft began to come apart between late 2024 and early 2023, and it was during this window that the relationship grew strained.
The failure of the project led to the team being split up across the broader company, with members reportedly moving to different departments. Among them was Davide Soliani, who had spent 25 years at Ubisoft, and he chose to leave the publisher to set up his own studio, Day 4 Night.
The Team’s Fate
Eurogamer’s report describes the project’s end as a quiet one. The team was redistributed, and Soliani moved on to start his own studio. The project itself remains a curiosity — a spin-off that never happened, featuring the series’ biggest villain in a starring role.
Ganondorf’s Role
Ganondorf has appeared in many Zelda games as Link’s archnemesis, and his presence in a starring role would have been a significant departure for the series. The existence of a Ganondorf-led spin-off suggests that Ubisoft Milan saw an opportunity to explore a different side of the series. Such a move would have been a bold one for the franchise, placing the game’s most recognisable villain at the centre of a story, rather than treating him as a recurring threat. The project’ at the center of the action.
The Zelda Spin-Off That Wasn’t
The report portrays the project as a real effort to create something novel. The team devoted itself to “what they deemed the perfect pitch” for Project Goliath, and the undertaking was abandoned only after Nintendo turned it down in November 2023.
The tale raises questions about the nature of collaboration between two major publishers, and it also shows how a project can come close to reality before falling apart.
The Path From Pitch to Rejection
The project followed a clear timeline:
- The pitch began in 2022.
- Nintendo liked the concept.
- Nintendo asked for Ganondorf.
- Work continued.
- Nintendo rejected Project Goliath in November 2023.
- Conversations broke down.
- Soliani left to found Day 4 Night.
- Ubisoft Milan is now working on Rayman Legends Untold.
The project moved forward with each stage, drawing closer to reality, until it came to a halt.
What Happens Next
Since then, Ubisoft Milan has partnered with Ubisoft Montpellier on the promising Rayman Legends Untold. As for Ganondorf, his hopes of leading his own Zelda spin-off have not been realized. The report says that maybe Nintendo might decide to revisit that idea somewhere down the line.
Key Facts
- The pitch began in 2022
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope launched before the pitch
- Nintendo rejected Project Goliath in November 2023
- Conversations broke down between late 2023 and early 2024
- Davide Soliani left Ubisoft and founded Day 4 Night
- Ubisoft Milan is now working on Rayman Legends Untold
This tale serves as a reminder that not all pitches reach the field. When two companies are in harmony, the journey from concept to release can stretch on, and it frequently concludes before the game is ever completed.
Source material: “Ubisoft's Mario + Rabbids team reportedly came close to making an "ambitious" Zelda game starring Ganondorf, but it wasn't to be,” Eurogamer.
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