Ganondorf almost got his own Zelda spin-off by Ubisoft claims report

| Games News Writer Published September 25, 2026 10:33am Updated September 25, 2026 10:33am A demonic rejection (Nintendo) The Mario + Rabbids team pitched a Zelda spin-off with a playable Ganondorf according to reports, in what would have been his first solo outing. The Legend Of Zelda series has received several spin-offs over the years, ranging from hack ‘n’ slashers like Hyrule Warriors to rhythm action crossover Cadence Of Hyrule, and Princess Zelda spotlight Echoes Of Wisdom. While they’ve largely paled in comparison to the mainline titles, some of them represent rare occasions where developers outside of Nintendo have been allowed to work on the series. The Hyrule Warriors games, for example, are by Koei Tecmo, while Cadence Of Hyrule was created by indie studio Brace Yourself Games. It turns out, a team at Ubisoft Milan almost made a Legend Of Zelda game too, which would have featured Link’s nemesis Ganondorf as a playable protagonist. According to Insider Gaming, the studio behind Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and its sequel pitched the idea to Nintendo. The project was codenamed Goliath and was originally going to star a ‘new, never-before-seen protagonist’, but this later changed to Ganondorf during the concept phase. Expert, exclusive gaming analysis Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. It’s claimed Ubisoft Milan built a prototype for Goliath in late 2023, a year after the release of Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope. However, it was reportedly rejected by Nintendo in November 2023, but it’s unclear as to why. According to the report, Ubisoft Milan was in discussions to work on another Nintendo IP, supposedly either Star Fox or another game in the Mario universe, but these conversations between Nintendo and Ubisoft ‘began to break down’ by early 2024. It now seems unlikely we’ll ever see another collaboration between Nintendo and Ubisoft, considering many devs at Ubisoft Milan, including Mario + Rabbids director Davide Soliani, left in 2024. Soliani, along with other ex-Ubisoft Milan devs, have since formed new studio Day 4 Night, where they’re working on the recently revealed Bradley The Badger. While there are no details on how Goliath would have played, it’s perhaps surprising we haven’t seen a spin-off dedicated to Ganondorf already. The character has been a mainstay of the Super Smash Bros. series since Melee, and was playable in the original Hyrule Warriors. If you’re craving more from everyone’s favourite Demon King, Ganondorf is set to appear in revamped form in The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake for Switch 2, which launches on November 5, 2026. An iconic villain (Nintendo) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: What is the best Rare game? Arrow MORE: EA Sports FC 27 is out today but here’s 4 features EA still need to fix Arrow MORE: GTA 6 collector’s edition includes exclusive merchandise but no game GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.