Ubisoft was making a Zelda game starring Ganondorf before Nintendo canceled it, report claims

Ubisoft Milan was working on a The Legend of Zelda spinoff starring Ganondorf before Nintendo canceled the project in November 2023, according to a new report from Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson. The studio originally proposed an entirely new protagonist, but Nintendo reportedly liked the concept and asked Ubisoft to replace the character with Ganondorf, giving the longtime Zelda villain his own game. 

Internally known as Goliath, the project was led by Davide Soliani, the creative director behind Mario + Rabbids. Ubisoft Milan spent much of 2023 developing a prototype, but Nintendo rejected it before the game could receive approval for further development. Henderson’s sources could not establish why Nintendo decided to cancel it.