Nintendo Wants Xenoblade Developer Monolith Soft to Lead Development on Future Zelda Games

From Support Studio to Potential Lead Developer

Monolith Soft published an interview on December 15, 2025, titled “Walking Together With Nintendo: Looking Back on 15 Years of Zelda Development,” featuring Yasuhiro Fujita from Monolith Soft and Daiki Iwamoto, general manager for the Zelda series at Nintendo. The discussion reveals Nintendo’s ambitious vision for the Xenoblade developer: taking a central role in creating future Zelda titles rather than remaining a support studio. Iwamoto specifically stated he wants Monolith Soft to use their collective know-how and team strength to “create a unique title in the series together.”

This represents a dramatic evolution from Monolith’s initial involvement with Skyward Sword in 2011, where they simply created specific assets Nintendo requested. Over 15 years, the partnership grew from basic contract work into genuine collaboration, with Monolith Soft pitching creative ideas, providing feedback on Nintendo’s designs, and becoming embedded in the development process for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Now Nintendo is signaling openness to handing Monolith the reins entirely for certain projects.

The timing coincides with Nintendo fully acquiring Monolith Soft in December 2024, purchasing the remaining 4 percent ownership stake from the company’s original founders. Nintendo now owns 100 percent of the Tokyo-based studio, cementing what has become one of the most important development partnerships in modern gaming. Between creating the Xenoblade Chronicles series and contributing crucial work to Nintendo’s biggest franchises, Monolith Soft has become indispensable to the company’s first-party output.

How Monolith Became Essential to Zelda

Monolith Soft’s first Zelda contribution was The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in 2011. The studio’s involvement was limited to asset creation based on Nintendo’s specifications, functioning as external contract labor rather than creative collaborators. Both companies approached the partnership nervously, unsure how working together would function. But the successful experience built trust that evolved into much deeper collaboration on subsequent projects.

With Breath of the Wild, Monolith’s role expanded significantly. The studio contributed to level design, programming, and game design elements that defined the revolutionary open-world structure. Monolith’s expertise in creating vast explorable environments from the Xenoblade Chronicles series translated perfectly to Breath of the Wild’s open Hyrule. The team helped implement systems that made the world feel alive and reactive, drawing on experience creating sprawling RPG landscapes where geography matters mechanically.

By Tears of the Kingdom, Monolith was involved from the earliest development stages. Nintendo team members visited Monolith’s studios frequently to discuss ideas, making the collaboration genuine partnership rather than hierarchical outsourcing. The studio’s contributions to Tears of the Kingdom’s expanded sky islands, underground depths, and Ultrahand building mechanics demonstrate how integral they’ve become to modern Zelda design philosophy. They’re not just implementing Nintendo’s vision anymore. They’re shaping it.

Monolith Soft’s Zelda Contributions

• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011) – Asset creation and basic support
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) – Level design, programming, game systems
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023) – Core development from pre-production through completion
• Future projects – Potential lead development role on unique Zelda title

What Makes Monolith Soft Special

Monolith Soft was founded in 1999 by former Square developers including Tetsuya Takahashi, who worked on legendary JRPGs like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, and Xenogears. The studio initially developed games for Namco, creating the Xenosaga trilogy and Baten Kaitos series. Nintendo acquired 80 percent of the company from Bandai Namco in 2007, increased ownership to 96 percent in 2011, and finally purchased the remaining 4 percent in December 2024.

The studio’s strength lies in creating enormous, explorable worlds filled with intricate systems and engaging content. Xenoblade Chronicles, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 all feature massive open environments where geography, weather, time-of-day cycles, and NPC behaviors interact to create living ecosystems. That expertise translated directly to Breath of the Wild’s design philosophy: building worlds that react naturally rather than scripted theme parks.

Monolith also excels at squeezing performance from aging hardware. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ran on the six-year-old Nintendo Switch with impressive visuals and scope despite technical limitations. That optimization expertise proved crucial for Tears of the Kingdom, which pushed the Switch far beyond what anyone thought possible. The combination of creative ambition and technical competence makes Monolith uniquely valuable for Nintendo’s most demanding projects.

The Interview’s Key Revelations

The interview is currently only available in Japanese on Monolith Soft’s website, but machine translation and community interpretations reveal several significant details. When discussing Skyward Sword, both Nintendo and Monolith representatives mentioned initial anxiety about working together on such an important Nintendo franchise. That nervousness transformed into mutual confidence as successive projects demonstrated how well the teams collaborated.

Iwamoto emphasized Nintendo’s appreciation for Monolith’s development philosophy and creative approach, stating the studio has become a “strong partner when it comes to developing Zelda games from scratch.” That phrase “from scratch” is crucial because it suggests Nintendo sees Monolith as capable of handling projects beyond supporting existing concepts. They’re trusted to build original ideas within the Zelda framework.

The most revealing quote comes when Iwamoto discusses future collaboration: “Going forward, let’s use the know-how we’ve developed by working together, and the strength of the whole Monolith Soft team, to create a unique title in the series together.” The word “unique” suggests something distinct from mainline entries like Breath of the Wild sequels. Perhaps a spin-off? A smaller-scale experimental Zelda? A completely different genre interpretation of Hyrule? Nintendo left that deliberately vague.

Could Monolith Lead a Zelda Game?

Nintendo’s phrasing suggests openness to Monolith taking a “central role” rather than full solo development. That’s probably smart positioning given Zelda’s importance to Nintendo’s brand and the risks inherent in handing a flagship franchise to anyone outside the core Zelda team at Nintendo EPD. But a central role could mean Monolith handles creative direction, level design, and core systems while Nintendo provides oversight and IP guardianship.

Precedent exists for Nintendo trusting external developers with Zelda spin-offs. Capcom developed the Oracle games for Game Boy Color and The Minish Cap for Game Boy Advance. Omega Force created Hyrule Warriors as a Dynasty Warriors crossover. Grezzo remade Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and Link’s Awakening. Nintendo has never been precious about keeping Zelda entirely in-house when the right partner demonstrates competence.

What makes Monolith’s potential involvement different is the scale and ambition implied. Those previous collaborations were remakes, handheld titles, or genre experiments. Monolith could theoretically lead development on something matching Breath of the Wild’s scope while bringing their RPG design sensibilities to Zelda’s action-adventure framework. Imagine a Zelda game with Xenoblade-style party management, complex character progression, and narrative depth combined with traditional Zelda dungeon design and exploration. That’s the kind of “unique title” Iwamoto might be hinting at.

Nintendo’s Studio Acquisition Strategy

The Monolith Soft acquisition fits Nintendo’s recent pattern of formalizing relationships with long-time development partners. In 2021, Nintendo purchased Next Level Games, developer of the Luigi’s Mansion series. In 2022, the company acquired SRD, a support studio that worked on countless Nintendo titles over decades. In November 2025, Nintendo announced plans to acquire Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, which co-developed Splatoon 3 and New Pokémon Snap.

These acquisitions share common traits: long collaborative histories, proven competence on important Nintendo projects, and willingness to work within Nintendo’s creative framework rather than asserting independence. Nintendo doesn’t acquire studios speculatively hoping to gain valuable IP or talent. It formalizes relationships that already work, securing partners it trusts and relies upon for key franchises.

Fully owning Monolith Soft eliminates any potential complications around ownership splits or competing priorities. The studio can focus entirely on Nintendo projects without external pressures or alternative business interests. And for Nintendo, having Monolith’s talent pool completely integrated means better coordination across projects, especially as development timelines extend and games require larger teams working longer durations to meet modern standards.

What This Means for Xenoblade

The obvious question: Does Monolith’s deeper Zelda involvement threaten the Xenoblade Chronicles series? Probably not. The studio now employs enough staff across its Tokyo and Kyoto offices to handle multiple projects simultaneously. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition launches March 20, 2025, bringing the Wii U exclusive to Switch with enhanced visuals and expanded story content. Monolith wouldn’t be prepping that release if Xenoblade was being shelved.

Industry leakers NashWeedle and Nintenleaks claimed in early December 2025 that Monolith’s next major project is codenamed “Project Legacy,” with potential presence around major gaming events. Whether that refers to a new Xenoblade entry, the rumored Zelda collaboration, or something completely different remains speculation. But Monolith’s expanded headcount suggests they can develop Xenoblade titles while simultaneously contributing to Zelda and potentially leading their own unique Nintendo project.

The bigger concern for Xenoblade fans is resource allocation. If Nintendo prioritizes Monolith’s Zelda work over Xenoblade development, the JRPG series could see longer gaps between entries or smaller scopes. But Nintendo understands Xenoblade’s value as a prestige franchise attracting core JRPG enthusiasts to Switch. Letting that series atrophy while chasing Zelda would alienate a dedicated fanbase and eliminate one of Nintendo’s few answers to Sony’s JRPG dominance.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Nintendo fully acquire Monolith Soft?

December 2024, when Nintendo purchased the remaining 4 percent ownership stake from the company’s original founders. Nintendo previously owned 96 percent since 2011.

What Zelda games has Monolith Soft worked on?

Skyward Sword (2011), Breath of the Wild (2017), and Tears of the Kingdom (2023). Their involvement grew from basic asset creation to core development partnership across those titles.

Will Monolith Soft stop making Xenoblade games?

Unlikely. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition launches March 2025, and the studio has enough staff to handle multiple projects. However, deeper Zelda involvement could extend gaps between Xenoblade entries.

What does “central role” mean for Monolith’s Zelda involvement?

Nintendo’s Zelda producer wants Monolith to potentially lead development on a “unique title” in the series, rather than just supporting mainline entries. This suggests creative control over spin-offs or experimental projects.

Has Nintendo let external developers make Zelda games before?

Yes. Capcom developed Oracle games and Minish Cap, Omega Force created Hyrule Warriors, and Grezzo handled several remakes including Link’s Awakening. Nintendo has precedent for trusting partners with Zelda spin-offs.

Where can I read the full interview?

The interview is published on Monolith Soft’s official website in Japanese. No official English translation exists yet, though community translations provide general understanding of the discussion.

When was Monolith Soft founded?

1999, by former Square developers including Tetsuya Takahashi (Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Xenogears). Nintendo acquired majority ownership in 2007.

What other Nintendo games has Monolith worked on?

Beyond Xenoblade and Zelda, Monolith has provided support on numerous Nintendo projects including Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Splatoon, and various other first-party titles requiring large-scale environment design or technical optimization.

The Next Chapter for an Essential Partnership

The interview celebrating 15 years of Zelda collaboration reveals how far Monolith Soft has come from nervous support studio to essential Nintendo partner. What began as contract work creating assets for Skyward Sword evolved into genuine creative partnership shaping the most successful Zelda games ever made. Now Nintendo is signaling readiness to let Monolith take leadership roles on unique Zelda projects, trusting the studio’s vision and execution.

Whether that manifests as a Monolith-led Zelda spin-off, a experimental genre mashup, or something entirely different remains to be seen. Nintendo intentionally left details vague, focusing on philosophy rather than concrete announcements. But the intent is clear: Monolith Soft isn’t just a support studio anymore. They’re family, fully integrated into Nintendo’s development ecosystem with creative freedom to pursue ambitious ideas within the company’s most valuable franchises.

For Zelda fans, this is exciting because Monolith brings strengths Nintendo’s internal teams lack: deep JRPG expertise, mastery of complex progression systems, and experience creating massive interconnected worlds. For Xenoblade fans, it’s slightly concerning because deeper Zelda involvement could slow the JRPG series’ release cadence. But if Monolith can balance both franchises while potentially creating something entirely new, everyone wins.

The interview is currently available only in Japanese on Monolith Soft’s website, with no official English translation announced. Community efforts have provided basic summaries, but nuanced details remain inaccessible to English speakers. Hopefully Nintendo recognizes international interest and publishes official translations, because this partnership deserves deeper exploration than machine-translated snippets can provide. Fifteen years of collaboration built one of gaming’s most important relationships. The next fifteen could produce something truly special.