Ubisoft Milan Nearly Made a Ganondorf Zelda Game Before Nintendo Pulled the Plug

A Zelda game where you play as Ganondorf almost happened, and the studio behind it is one Nintendo fans already know well. According to a new report, Ubisoft Milan, the developer of the acclaimed Mario + Rabbids series, got surprisingly far with a pitch for a spin-off that would have put the franchise's biggest villain in the hero's seat.

Details are thin, but the project is described as ambitious, a notable word for a studio whose previous Nintendo collaborations were tactics games built around Mario's cast. Swapping Link for the Demon King would have been a bold change of perspective for a series that has kept its protagonist and its antagonist firmly in their places for decades.

What makes the story interesting is Nintendo's role. The company was reportedly receptive early on, which is not a given for a publisher that guards its flagship characters closely. Nintendo eventually pulled the plug on the whole thing, and the reasons have not been laid out in the report we are working from.

The cancellation is a reminder of how tightly Nintendo controls the Zelda brand. Outside collaborators have rarely been given room to reinterpret the series, and the few spin-offs that exist have generally been handled by trusted partners with heavy Nintendo oversight. A villain-led game from an external European team would have been a real departure.

It also stings a bit because Ubisoft Milan has proven it can handle Nintendo's IP with care. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Sparks of Hope were both well received, blending Nintendo charm with deeper strategy systems than many expected. Fans have long wondered what that team could do with Hyrule.

For now, this remains an unconfirmed report, and neither company has publicly detailed what the game would have looked like or how far development went. A playable Ganondorf has been a popular fan wish for years, and while he has appeared as a fighter in other games, a full adventure built around him is still only a what-if.